The Rise of the Sentinels
by beyond-grace
Summary: Part two of three in a series. Please read Sentinels of Genosha first.
1. Before Reading

Before reading, a few things to bear in mind:  
  
First: The events in the following story are based upon characters created by Stan Lee's X-Men. This story is not meant for publication. Any original character bios will be listed at the end of this piece or can be found in The Sentinels Of Genosha. Second: This is part two of three. If you have not read The Sentinels of Genosha, you may not understand what is going on. This takes place a little over two years after X-2 the movie. Spoilers! Please don't read if you haven't seen the ending, I don't want to give it away for you. Oh well, if you read the first it's too late anyways.  
  
Third: This is not formatted for Fan Fiction dot net. I'm sorry, but by the time I found out about this site I was already close to eighty-five pages in. So if there are any paragraphs that don't make sense, or you are unable to tell where one scene starts and one ends, I apologize. Please R & R. Flames welcome. Thanks and enjoy. 


	2. Prologue

X-Men 4:  
The Rise of the Sentinels  
Prologue  
Lance Alvers arrived at work thirty minutes early, just as he had every day since he started. It wasn't great work, or even work he was proud of, but it paid most of his bills. Allowed him to keep his lights on and his internet working. The fact of the matter was the bus station was enough to take his mind of things for a while, just long enough to make some cash and go home.  
Today it looked worse than it had for a long time. There was a hole in the floor at least fifteen feet in diameter. Broken glass lay on the floor. Several of the lockers had been knocked over. And by the looks of things people were more cautious than normal. Everyone, that was, except an Asian girl in a yellow denim jacket.  
Lance tried not to make eye contact. For one thing, she looked under age. He knew he was only twenty-one, but if she were even seventeen that was jailbait. For another thing, he didn't have much luck with women. A date here, a date there, but nothing more. He never called them; they rarely called him. His life was simple, and the last thing he needed was a woman to complicate things.  
He continued into the locker room and started to change into his janitor uniform. "You hear bout what happened out there, Alvers?" one of the other janitors asked as he came into the room.  
"No," Lance answered. Truthfully he wasn't sure he wanted to know.  
"Some mutants got into a brawl out there. A pretty good one, by the looks of things. Stupid mutant, wish they had just killed each other."  
Lance chuckled. "Yeah, if things were that easy."  
Lance failed to admit his mutant ability of being able to project seismic waves capable of crumbling the entire bus station to little more than a pile of rubble. He had barely come to grips with the fact that he was a mutant himself. How could he ever expect anyone else to understand? And with power as destructive as his, Lance felt that they would reject him even more.  
He grabbed a bucket and a mop and proceeded to go into the main lobby. He washed the floor, paying particular attention to spots that had skid marks from skateboarders or sneakers. As Lance worked he noticed that the Asian girl was not watching the bus schedule intently as the other patrons were. She did not check her watch, or the clock on the wall. Every so often she would stand up, but before too long the girl returned to her seat. On two occasions the girl had purchased ice coffees.  
Lance turned away from the girl. He tried to think of other things. His dog, Avalanche, the farm that his parents had left him which had been in their family for years, he even let himself just think of nothing, fully concentrating on the task at hand. Lance prided himself on making everything as perfect as it had been when the station purchased it. He was good at cleaning, and enjoyed it.  
"Hey pretty, you wanna go for a ride?" Lance heard a guy say behind him.  
"Yeah," a second guy started. "You don't have to wait here for a bus. We can take you where you need to go."  
Lance turned and saw three teens standing around the Asian girl. One of them had a leg on the bench she sat on; his hand was hovering over his groin. The girl looked as disgusted as Lance felt.  
"There a problem here, miss?" Lance asked.  
"There ain't no problem here, janitor," the boy nearest Lance started. "Why don't you just go scrub a urinal or something?"  
The other two laughed.  
"Miss?" Lance asked again.  
"No, but thank you," the girl replied. Lance could read her eyes. Don't worry. It's not your fight.  
He turned around and the janitors laughed again.  
"That's right," the second boy said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "She's fine right with us."  
Lance growled. He sent a vibration through the floor, sending the boy nearest to the hole in the floor flying backwards. The other two fell on their butts, but were quick to get on their feet after the rumble.  
"Help! Get me up!" the boy who had fallen in the whole screamed. He held onto the edge by his fingertips. Lance knew that the edge would be slick. He turned around to help but the boy's two friends were already pulling their friend back to the ground level.  
The girl, Lance noticed, had a wallet in her hand. She removed the cash from it and threw the wallet into the trashcan that had been placed right next to the seat. Lance smiled, then went over to the trashcan and empties it. He looked at her, holding a finger to his lips, and proceeded to the dumpster.  
  
Lance had not spoken to the girl since the boys had bothered her, but she remained in the bus station the entire time. He had checked out already, and carried his small backpack on his shoulder. Lance had covered his auburn hair with a tanned fedora. He wore a vest that matched the color of his hat. When he was halfway across the lobby Lance saw seven officers enter the bus station. The head officer sent two of his men on either side of the lobby, and they slowly closed in on the Asian girl.  
The five continued forward, two on either side of the head officer. Just as Lance had suspected, they were heading for the girl. She could see them coming, but there wasn't anywhere to hide. The only exit was in front of her, through the cops. She was trapped.  
"Jubilation Lee?" the head officer asked as he approached her. He reached inside his overcoat and pulled out his badge. The officers (who were all in traditional uniforms) were already drawing their guns.  
Are they nuts? Lance thought to himself.  
The girl nodded.  
"My name is Detective Parker, please come with me."  
"What's this about?" Jubilation asked.  
"Come with him, now!" one of the officers screamed. He pointed his gun directly at Jubilation's head. It wasn't necessarily a threat, he was nervous, maybe even scared.  
Jubilation lifted up her arms, and a third cop holstered his weapon. At the same time the officer pulled out a pair of handcuffs and prepared to place the metallic bracelets on her wrists.  
"Is there a problem here officers?" Lance asked. He instantly regretted speaking.  
"Just move on your way, son," Parker started.  
Two of Parker's men already had guns on Lance. Lance took a step back, and heard the metallic crunching as the handcuffs locked into place. The officer's did not take their guns off of him until Jubilation was already halfway to the door.  
Lance followed as closely as he could, watching as the officer's escorted her down the stairs. He looked at their cars, irritated that they had treated the girl as they had. He felt angry that those cops had stuck their guns in his face. And scared. Scared for her and himself; that the cops might find out what he was. A mutant.  
As the thought of mutant slipped through Lance's mind the ground under the officer's cards began to rumble. Within a few seconds the ground opened up, and the cars fell into the cracks. But the shaking didn't stop there. Lance could see the crack in the ground travel quickly up towards the cops. They screamed, jumping out of the way. And Lance stopped it.  
By now people were running and screaming. Some of them had got to their cars and were driving off as fast as they could. Lance decided the best coarse of action would be to act like one of the frightened pedestrians. He gave another look back at the Asian girl, and her eyes locked with his. She knew what he was.  
Lance didn't take a second look. He ran for his truck and got in as fast as he could. Something rattled in the bed of the truck. Lance didn't need to look back to know it was the Asian girl making her escape. He didn't slow. He started the truck as fast as he could and drove off. Nothing would stop him until he got home. Not a thing.  
  
It only took Lance forty minutes to return home. Thankfully traffic had been light and the girl had enough sense to keep down. He got out of the truck and stormed to the back. "Alright," Lance started. "Now I've got you away from the cops, get out of here."  
"What?" the girl asked.  
"Get out of here. Whatever trouble you're in, I don't want any part of it. I've got enough problems of my own, you know."  
The girl pushed herself off the truck and held out her hands. "Will you at least help me get out of these before pushing me into the road?"  
Lance groaned. She was starting to annoy him already. He grasped the handcuffs and looked at them. His power wouldn't help him here. If he tried to shatter the locks with vibrations he'd most likely break her wrists, then he'd never be rid of the girl.  
"Come on inside," Lance started. "But I swear if you so much as look at me funny I'm gonna call the cops."  
The girl nodded and followed him inside. As they entered his farm Lance could hear Avalanche barking. The sheepdog lumbered into the room, wagging its tale back and forth frantically. He barked once more joyfully seeing that his master was not alone, and instantly went over to the girl to greet her. Avalanche sniffed at the girl's pants deeply, getting used to the new smell.  
"Avalanche, back boy. She's not staying," Lance said to the dog.  
Avalanche moved his head towards his master. His mouth hung open and his tongue stuck out. The dog looked particularly stupid when he did that.  
"Fine, watch her," Lance started.  
The girl started to scratch the dog's head. "Hi there boy. I'm Jubilee," she said as she kneeled down. Avalanche licked the side of her head, and Jubilee laughed.  
"Man's best friend unless there's a woman around," Lance grumbled as he went to the tool shed. He walked back to the living room with a chisel in one hand and a hammer in the other. "Alright, sit down over there by the desk."  
"You don't have anything a little more. subtle?" Jubilee asked.  
"Sorry, I'm not into stuff this kinky. No handcuff keys."  
Jubilee sighed. She sat down in the chair opposite the desk, and Lance prepared to break the handcuffs. "So what's your name?" Jubilee asked.  
"I don't want to tell you my name."  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because when those cops catch you I don't want you to tell them who helped you escape back at the bus station."  
Jubilee rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah, that."  
Lance started to hit the chisel.  
"You know I didn't do anything," Jubilee continued.  
Lance did not speak. He kept on chiseling at the handcuffs. Maybe she'd get the hint.  
"I mean I did so some things, but nothing that warranted seven cops to come and pick me up."  
"Uh-huh," Lance replied. He hoped that was the end of the story. Another bash at the handcuff's and nothing happened still. He really wished the cops had just held onto her.  
"I was saving money to get back to New York. My parents live there. Well, foster parents anyways."  
"What happened to your folks?" Lance asked. He didn't really care. It was a question that he would ask on reflex.  
"They died," Jubilee replied. Her head ducked low. "When I was ten."  
Lance hit the handcuffs again. "I'm sorry to hear that. My folks died a year ago."  
"What happened?" Jubilee asked.  
"They died," Lance repeated. He thought it was obvious that he didn't want to talk about them the first time. Apparently it was not.  
Again the hammer struck the chisel, and the handcuffs broke. Jubilee removed her hand from the desk and rubbed her sore wrists.  
"There, all better," Lance started. "You know where the front door is. Now leave."  
Jubilee stood up. She extended her arm as if to shake Lance's hand. "Thanks."  
"Don't mention it." Lance paused to pick up the handcuffs and started for the tool shed again. "To anyone."  
He didn't wait to see her off. He didn't care that she was leaving. In a few minutes his life would return to the normal dull existence it had been before. The way he liked it.  
Lance turned from the tool shed, and Jubilee was gone. Avalanche stood at the door, whining softly. Lance knew that the dog didn't have to go to the bathroom; he wanted to get Jubilee back. As Lance walked towards his dog the animal turned. Lance started to scratch the sheepdog's head.  
"It's alright boy. We don't need her around."  
The sheepdog whined again and walked towards the door, scratching it gently."  
  
Jubilee heard a car approaching. She turned around and stuck out her thumb. To her surprise it was the same truck that she had dove into. The car pulled up and to a halt. Jubilee could smell the exhaust from the cars tailpipe, and taste dirt in her mouth from the unpaved road.  
"Lance," the boy started. "My name is Lance."  
"Jubilee," the teen replied, sticking her hand through the open window to shake his.  
"Get in, Jubilee. We can give your parents a call and they can come down here and get you. At least I won't have to go through a guilt trip when I see your face in the newspaper."  
Jubilee smiled and ran around to the other side of the truck. She got in, buckled up, and Lance started to drive back to his house.  
  
The two had returned to the barn, and Lance cooked for them. After eating a few slices of turkey covered in homemade gravy with mashed potatoes and carrots on the side the two had done up the dishes. Now they sat at the kitchen table, about to commence in conversation. Avalanche was lying next to his master, gnawing contently on a bone that Lance had bought for him a while ago.  
"So, you gonna tell me what you did, or do I have to guess?" Lance asked. He was quite content to skip all the small talk.  
"You mean to attract the attention of those cops?" Jubilee asked, taken off guard by the question.  
Lance nodded.  
"I don't know. I was just sitting there; pick pocketing when they came in. I thought that a local security guard would arrest me if anyone did. Not seven armed and dangerous police officers."  
Lance leaned forward and crossed his arms. "And?"  
"And nothing. I don't know why they over reacted like they did."  
"What about your mutant ability?"  
Jubilee looked at him as if he had said some crude and sarcastic remark. She held up her right hand, palm out. After a second Lance could see it was starting to glow. Soon small sparks bounced from Jubilee's fingertips, extinguishing themselves before touching the table or the carpet. Lance was amazed at the sight. Even Avalanche had stopped gnawing on his bone long enough to admire Jubilee's mutant ability at work.  
"Happy?" Jubilee put her hand back down on the table. "Now you know."  
"That was cool," Lance said. He knew that the phrase was a little immature for his age, but he couldn't help himself.  
"You want me to leave again? 'Kill the mutants' and all that?"  
  
Lance was quiet for a moment, and then began to laugh. He ran his hands through his brown hair, trying to control himself.  
"It's not funny. I have to deal with that every time anyone finds out what I am, all right? You try living with it."  
"I'm sorry," Lance said, trying to regain his composure. "It's not that. It's not. I- I got to show you something. Wait here, I'll be right back." Lance turned and ran up the stairs. A moment later he returned with a snowboard. "Follow me," he instructed her.  
Jubilee did as she was told, although Lance could tell that she didn't like not knowing what they were up to. Lance led her into the field, past the potato field and into what had once been a cornfield. It had been hears since healthy corn husks had grown on the land. Now there were wide gaps between rows, and they were uneven. Some flies buzzed from one plant to the next, taking what nutrients they could from the rotting vegetation.  
"Alright," Lance started. "Put your feet in these."  
He put the snowboard down on the ground so that the boots were facing upwards.  
"I thought you weren't into kinky stuff," Jubilee said.  
Lance chuckled. "Just trust me."  
Jubilee did as she was told, unlacing one shoe and putting her foot into the snowboard boot. She repeated the first step with her second foot, and then stood up, barely able to keep her balance. Lance stepped behind her and gently touched his fingers to her shoulders.  
"Ever go surfing?" he whispered.  
"I tried, once," Jubilee chucked.  
"This is pretty much like that."  
Suddenly there was a rumbling sound. Lance smiled, and the ground beneath them started to rise up. A pure momentous surge of energy pushed them forward, and within seconds Lance and Jubilee were flying through the cornfield. Husks of corn were pushed to either side, spreading only half a second before the two were past them. Jubilee screamed in spite of herself. Lance could tell that she was nervous, but at the same time she was excited.  
He could see the pond in front of them, and Lance turned the surge of earth quickly. Small pebbles and particles of dirt fell into the water as they turned and continued on their way.  
"Watch out!" Jubilee screamed as a boulder came into view.  
"Push your back foot down!" Lance said without thinking twice.  
The mound of dirt beneath their feet rose, running to the top of the boulder. Jubilee slid over the other side, although Lance had to run to catch up to the dirt wave. Jubilee laughed and looked back at him. Lance smiled back.  
The entire ride only lasted about five minutes, although it seemed like an eternity of fun. As the last of the waves subsided and returned to the earth Lance let go of Jubilee's back and stepped around so that he could face her.  
"Now that was cool!"  
"Thank you."  
"Did you do all that?"  
"No, we're on some sort of a fault line. It happens from time to time."  
Jubilee laughed.  
"Come on, get your shoes on. We can do some more surfing later, okay?"  
Jubilee had called her stepparents house, but only reached an answering machine. She had left a message, but knew how they were. Although Jubilee loved both her stepparents dearly, she knew that they were terrible when it came to checking the machine. One year after Jubilee had returned from the Xavier School she had found forty-two messages on her parents answering machine.  
She had called the school too, but no one was there. Jubilee had left a message at the school as well, but did not know how long to expect that they'd be gone. Mister McCoy had taken most of the students to a private home that was sponsored by Warren Worthington the third. She knew that he would not return until instructed to by Professor Xavier.  
Jubilee did not know the number to the hideaway home.  
Now it was late, and Jubilee was tired. Lance had offered her a bed in one of the spare rooms. The seventeen year old welcomed the comfort of a warm bed as opposed to sleeping on the couch, or worse yet the street corner.  
Lance had let Jubilee wear one of his mother's nightgowns'. Jubilee thought that it looked like a straight jacket, but kept her thoughts to herself. Instead, she thanked him for his hospitality and help, then decided to go to bed early.  
She wasn't quite sure that she trusted Lance completely. After all, the two had met only that afternoon, and he had already given her food, clothing and a place to sleep. It was Jubilee's experience that all too often when people were nice they had secret agendas. She wanted to know what his was, although Jubilee knew if she asked Lance he'd flat out deny it.  
Jubilee lay in her bedroom with the door closed and locked from the inside. She knew that if Lance wanted to his could crumble the door to splinters, but that would give her some time to prepare for him if he were going to attack. Her eyes gazed over the photos and paintings on the wall. Most were of dogs, or landscapes. Lance or his family had taken none of the pictures; that much was obvious. The wallpaper had a continuous patter of horizontal yellow flowers. A solid oak dresser stood against one of the walls, against the other was an armoire. The room even had it's own private bathroom (the door to which was slightly ajar). Jubilee had not checked the closet yet.  
Her eyes closed, and then opened rapidly. Jubilee felt tired, but was not ready to sleep yet. She still needed to think about some things. She was worried about her friends. Her part of the quest was over, but Jubilee did not know if theirs was.  
She prayed that they would all live. She knew the consequences if they failed. Her future, the future of everyone in the entire world, was in the hands of the X-Men, and no one knew it.  
  
Morning came after a long night of broken sleep. Jubilee had woken more times than she could count. Her sleep had been accompanied by nightmares of things to come. The demon that haunted her in the night was not some lone rider on a pale horse, but a former teacher, Jean Gray.  
She had seen the end, of everything. Men and mutant alike lied in unmarked graves. Cities that had once been prosperous were now but a pale shadow of what had once been. Ash covered the streets and cars. The windows had been shattered long ago, so long that no shards of glass lay on the ground. No animals ran through the streets. No insects could be seen scurrying about. Just the ash, and the absence of life.  
Jubilee had woken many times. And every time that she had shut her eyes, she had had the same dream. She finally rose from her bed at seven fifteen feeling tired, scared and alone.  
The teenage girl got dressed and walked down the stairs into the kitchen to find coffee already brewing. An empty cup sat on the counter next to a piece of paper that read 'out for morning chores, help yourself to coffee'. Jubilee poured herself a cup and sat down at the kitchen table.  
She could hear Avalanche approaching before he nudged her leg. Jubilee smiled, putting her left hand down and patting the dog. He looked up at her, his eyes hidden by the mounds of fur, although Jubilee could tell that he was happy to see her. There was no doubt in her mind that Lance was a good master, but Avalanche seemed to be the type of dog that enjoyed having anyone around.  
It didn't take Jubilee long to finish two cups of coffee, and afterwards she went to the sink and washed out the inside of her cup. "Where's Lance?" she asked herself. Avalanche started to paw at the door. Jubilee smiled at the dog again, and went to the door. "Thanks, Avalanche."  
Jubilee stepped outside, feeling the sun's warm rays for the first time that day. She continued into the field, making sure that Avalanche did not follow her. It wasn't that she wouldn't have minded his company, but she did not want Lance to be mad at the dog. She walked into the cornfield, following the path that the two had surfed the day before until finally coming to the pond.  
The seventeen year old looked down into the water, seeing the fish swimming back and forth. She could hear some frogs croaking from somewhere in the pond. Jubilee leaned down and took off her shoes, then put her toes in the water. It felt good, despite the mud that was swallowing the bottom of her feet. She looked around, a little embarrassed at herself for acting childish. Finally she rolled up her pant legs to her knees and walked in farther.  
Somewhere close Jubilee could hear a slight humming. She looked around, curious as to what was making the sound. It didn't sound like anything she was familiar with except.  
Before the girl could finish her thought process she saw a large silver disk flying through the air. She could clearly see people on it, but didn't need to see their faces to know who the leader was. Magneto. The disk continued past her, and finally came to a stop somewhere by the farm.  
"Lance," Jubilee whispered to herself.  
She scurried through the water, not caring that her clothing was getting soaked as she ran. Jubilee didn't bother to put on her shoes. She was afraid that Lance might need help. She knew how dangerous Magneto was, and cunning. She had heard stories from Rogue. Once in a while Logan would talk about Magneto too, but his stories were filled with curses that made an unrealistic depiction.  
Although her feet were killing her Jubilee continued to run through the fields. Finally she arrived at the farmhouse, and could see Magneto with his small army of mutants standing around. She did not recognize any of the mutants save Magneto himself and John Allardyce, now known only as Pyro.  
She looked around and finally saw a mutant with a green colored skin pushing Lance forward. The others laughed as he stumbled forward.  
Jubilee looked around terrified. Her eyes darted from a female mutant who was covered from head to foot in blue scales. Other than that the mutant was naked. Another woman had arms that were covered with the same metal that her friend Peter had. A third mutant had a third eye in the center of his forehead. Almost all of the rest looked like normal humans.  
Magneto held out his hand for Lance. The boy took it, and then pulled himself up to his feet. "It's been too long, Magneto," Lance said.  
"Always a pleasure, Lance," Magneto replied.  
Jubilee stood frozen, then felt a pair of arms grab her from behind.  
  
Lance looked at the man whom he had come to know as Magneto happily. The older mutant had been the only man whom Lance had ever revealed his mutant powers to until Jubilee came into his life. Magneto extended a hand, a warm smile extending the corners of his lips.  
"Please, come on inside," Lance said to his friend.  
"What about the girl? The one from the Xavier School?" Magneto asked.  
"She's here. Somewhere. Last I knew she was inside."  
Magneto's smile did not falter, although Lance could sense some unease from his friend. The two walked inside, with Magneto's group of mutant thugs following behind.  
Magneto instantly went to the table, ignoring Avalanche's growls of unease, and looked at the empty cup. "She's outside. Toad, Pandora, Pyro, find her."  
The green tinted mutant, the woman with metal arms, and the boy who had been playing with his lighter started out the door. Magneto took a seat at the kitchen table next to the blue naked woman. The other mutants continued into the living room, taking seats all around.  
"Can I get you anything?" Lance asked.  
Magneto shook his head. "We have to find the girl first. If she's seen me then she'll be afraid. I don't want her to fear me, or any of our brothers and sisters."  
Lance nodded.  
  
Jubilee had watched as three mutants left Lance's house and wandered into the field close to her. She knew that Magneto would be looking for her. She also knew that he would no send any more of his men for her. This would be the only chance she would have to help Lance.  
"Hello there," Jubilee heard a voice calling. She turned around and saw the green skinned mutant behind her. "Now don't run-"  
Before he finished his sentence Jubilee was on her feet. She ran for the house as fast as she could, not looking in either direction as she moved. A metal hand reached out in front of her, and as Jubilee collided with the arm she fell on her back. The teen could feel a heavy boot landing on her neck, and despite how much she was struggling she could not shake herself free. She began to feel lightheaded, then heard Pyro speak.  
"We're not to hurt her," he started.  
"Magneto just said he wanted her alive, he didn't specify what condition she had to be in."  
Pyro flicked open his lighter and glared at the woman. "Get her up, now," he ordered.  
The woman glared back at him, and finally complied. The three dragged Jubilee into the house and sat her down at the table across from Magneto. The older man smiled, trying to appear friendly. Jubilee knew better than to trust him.  
"Jubilation Lee, I have heard about you," Magneto started. "Between Lance and Charles, I feel like I've known you for some years now."  
Jubilee wanted to reach across the table and shock him. She didn't move. She didn't want to endanger Lance.  
Magneto looked at his soldiers. "Tomorrow, all of us leave for Genosha. Pyro, please escort young Jubilee to her room until we are ready to depart."  
Pyro nodded. He grabbed Jubilee by the arm and lifted her up.  
"What're you going to do with Lance?" she demanded.  
"Lance? He's our host. We wouldn't dare do anything to him," Magneto replied.  
Jubilee gasped and looked at Lance. She couldn't believe that he would do something like that. Work with, for, a murderer like Magneto. She felt Pyro's grip on her arm tighten and she was lead up the stairs into her room.  
"Stay here," Pyro ordered.  
He started to close the door but Jubilee moved her hand in the way. For a moment their eyes met, and Jubilee saw the boy who she had been friends with. "John, what happened?" she asked. "How could you live with that. that monster?"  
"That monster is the greatest man I know!"  
"How can you say that? He's a murderer, John. He-"  
"Don't call me that. My name is Pyro now."  
"Don't you see what he's done to you? John, please, answer me."  
John looked down for a moment, and when he looked back into Jubilee's eyes he was powerful. He was filled with pride. "How much did you hear about what happened before Alkali?"  
"Everything," Jubilee replied.  
"Did they tell you about how I killed those cops outside of Bobby's house?"  
Jubilee nodded. She had tried to tell herself that Rogue and Bobby's stories were just exaggerations, although now, standing face to face with John, she knew they were telling the truth.  
"When I was doing that, using my power and showing the humans that I wasn't afraid, for the first time since I discovered what I was I wasn't afraid. I didn't feel like I had to blend in because of fear. No, not blend in. conform. Pretend to be something I'm not. You know what I'm talking about, right? Xavier preaches it every day in that fucking school. He wants us to pretend to be human." John leaned in and caressed her cheek. "We're not human, Jubilee. We're so much more than that. We're so much. better than that."  
Jubilee instantly thought back to her foster parents. They were human, both of them. She had never thought of them as better or worse than her. They were the closest thing that she had to parents; the closest thing that she had to a real family.  
"You know I'm telling to truth. Ever since I've started to hang with Magneto, I've never felt that emptiness I felt at Xavier's. I've never had to hide because of some human. Look at me, Jubilee."  
She cocked her head up so that their eyes met. Jubilee could feel tears forming in the corner of her eyes. Her friend, John, was truly dead.  
"Magneto wants all of us to be like that. He wants every single mutant to hold his or her heads high, and show the world what we are. You can't tell me that you buy into all of Xavier's bull. If you did, then you wouldn't be here right now, would you?"  
Jubilee put her hand on the door to her room. "I'm going to bed, Pyro. I- I'll see you in the morning." She closed the door and went over to the window. Jubilee looked up at the stars above, wondering what was happening to her friends at that moment.  
Professor, she thought, trying to project her mind, I need you.  
  
"Did you have to send so many cops after her?" Lance demanded.  
"I wanted the cops to think she was dangerous, I didn't know that they'd over react like that," Magneto replied.  
Lance walked over to the sink. He could see his hands shaking. He put his cup down, afraid that it would fall and brake. "I don't think this is a good idea," he whispered.  
"It's alright, Lance. Things are going very smoothly. Spectacle has informed me that Xavier has rid Genosha of Apocalypse and his thugs."  
"But why her?"  
Now it was Magneto who got to his feet. He moved slowly across the room to Lance, and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Charles means well, son, but he's not preparing his students for the world of tomorrow. If I could, I would take all of his students to Genosha. But for now I'm going to use this girl, this Jubilee, as my test subject. I want to know how easy it will be to turn the rest of Charles's students against the whole of humanity."  
"You already have Pyro. Just leave her."  
"Pyro is a wonderful apprentice, however when he joined my ranks I needed to do no convincing. He was ready to serve me, whatever the task."  
I still don't like it."  
"There is very little to like."  
  
Jubilee looked at the ocean, and could see the sun setting. It was only her first day on Genosha, and she already wished she had simply gone home when the X-Men rose again. Avalanche sat next to her, panting friendly. Pyro, Lance and the rest of the mutants were working in the infirmary. She supposed that if she left they wouldn't notice for quite some time, but they would catch her before she could reach the mainland.  
A shadow approached her, and the teenage girl did not need to turn to know that the shadow belonged to Magneto. He sat down next to her, and for the first time Jubilee saw the old man out of his uniform. The old man was dressed in an off-white button up shirt and a pair of khaki's. He paused for a second, seeming to think of the right words to say.  
"I know how it feels, my dear," he finally started, "to leave the country that you have called home every day of your life. I know the pain and sorrow of leaving a place that holds so many memories for you, and I am truly sorry that I have to bestow this pain upon you."  
"It doesn't matter," Jubilee started. "When Professor Xavier and the others hear about this, they'll come and get me."  
Magneto stayed quiet for a moment. "Jubilation. I'm sorry that we have not been friends in the past. That will make what I'm about to say sound like a lie. I spoke to one of the wounded from Genosha about the fait of the X-Men. Every last one of them fell in battle. They died expelling Apocalypse."  
"What?"  
"They're dead, my dear. All of them, including Charles."  
Jubilee stood up. "You're lying," she said. Her voice was firm, firmer than it had ever been.  
Magneto shook his head slowly. He made his way to his feet at an equal pace.  
"No. No, no, no, no," Jubilee kept repeating. She shook her head as she spoke. Bobby, Kevin, Kitty, Rogue.  
Magneto moved close to her, and as he did he wrapped his arms around her small frame. Jubilee started to cry, but even as she did she kept repeating "no." She could feel him press her head to his shoulder, and Jubilee felt safe once more. She did not know how long she cried, or now long he held her, but when Jubilee finally pushed herself away from Magneto's chest his shirt was stained with her tears and she had decided to stay on Genosha. 


	3. Chapters one through five

Chapter One  
Remy LaBeau held a deck of cards in one hand and continued to shuffle the bottom card to the top. He did that when he was thinking. And recently he had been doing his famous one-handed shuffle more often. The former thief walked cautiously through the room, eyeing every corner and waiting for a trap to spring. He paused; now knowing that one of the many traps had already been set in motion, although he didn't know which one.  
Remy grabbed the top card from the deck with his free hand and waited. He wasn't sure how long he would have to stand still, but the thief had a feeling that it wouldn't be long. It didn't matter. He could remain still as long as it took.  
Finally there was movement. A hovering robot came into his view, arming itself with stun lasers. Remy jumped back as the first laser was fired, simultaneously charging the card in his right hand and throwing it at the robot. The machine exploded and then crumbled to the floor.  
Two more came, these ones weren't playing around though. They had been set to kill. Remy jumped out of the way as the robots opened fire, both putting holes where he had been only milliseconds before. The thief could hear the end of his trench coat singe as the machines continued to fire.  
At last he stood up and grabbed one of the robots by its barrel, charged it, and threw it at the second. Both exploded into little pieces. Remy looked up and smiled.  
"Is this the best you can do, petit?" he taunted.  
"You want worse?" Rogue's voice echoed from the control room.  
"Bring them on!"  
As he spoke seven more robots came into view. Remy could see Rogue giving him an air kiss from the control room. His grin grew.  
At once the robots came to life, and Remy reacted to their attacks. The first two fired power waves, which Remy easily dodged by jumping towards the machines. He turned himself so that his back was on the floor and kicked the two hovering robots with his legs. At the same time Remy charged another card and threw it.  
Although the card did not hit the robot he was aiming at, it did manage to knock out a support beam, which in turn crushed another robot.  
One down, Remy thought to himself. Three more emerged from the floor.  
Remy laughed and jumped on top of one. He could see others shooting at him. Another three charged cards flew through the air, destroying the three most recently deployed robots. Remy pulled his staff from its holder and shoved it in the robot that he was riding's barrel, and then jumped. It blew, leaving the staff unharmed.  
As he stood Remy felt a paint ball pellet hit him, then a second and a third. More continued to shoot him relentlessly as he shook his head and looked up at Rogue. She smiled, knowing that she had been victorious yet again.  
"I win, big man!" Rogue boasted over the loudspeaker.  
He watched as the robots receded to their starting point and then continued out of the Danger Room. The Cajun entered the locker room and proceeded to get undressed, and then showered up, and came into the changing area again. It seemed so empty now. Only about seven of the full time students still remained living at the school at current. Most had gone home, but some had gone to a mutant camp sponsored by Warren Worthington (a man that Remy only knew because he had stolen a couple of jewels from, although this information had not been shared with others). Logan was gone, off to find out something about his past. And Scott was also gone, after Genosha the man had needed some time off. Xavier had given the X-Man known as Cyclops a vacation without thinking twice.  
As for Remy, he had volunteered to stay behind and help out with the summer kids, at least this year he would. In the fall he was thinking of going to Louisiana while Rogue continued her studies in NYU.  
He closed his locker and went into the hallway, where Rogue waited for him patiently. "I won," she bragged again.  
Remy grinned. "So what? Big deal? You want a medal for it or something." He was flirting, but that was okay. She didn't seem to mind when he flirted with her.  
"You gonna go out and make it yourself?"  
  
Remy scoffed. "Course not."  
"Then I don't want a medal. I think I'll just bug you about it for the rest of the month."  
"The month?"  
"The week."  
"The week?"  
"Maybe the end of the day."  
Now it was her who was grinning. Remy wanted to lean in and kiss her, but he knew the rules. No touching of any kind. Those weren't just rules because it made Rogue feel better, those were rules so that he could stay alive long enough to flirt with her more. For now he was content to move his hand into her gloved hand.  
"Come on," he started. "I'm gonna go kick your butt at pool, alright?"  
"Suuure, big man," Rogue joked. Her eyes went big to increase the mockery.  
Remy did not try to come up with a response. He merely continued to lead her up to the main part of the school.  
  
Rogue and Remy were half way to the game room when the girl stopped. She put her hands on her head, suddenly very dizzy. Over the past couple of weeks Rogue had learned to deal with these dizzy spells. Originally they had been accompanied with memories of other people's lives, but thankfully Xavier had silenced those thoughts. Now Rogue never spoke of the spells.  
She merely dismissed them as subconscious thoughts struggling to break free. In a few minutes the thoughts would pass, and Rogue would feel one hundred percent again.  
As she glanced up she could see Remy standing a few feet in front of her. He was stopped, and looking back with concern in his eyes. His blood red eyes. They hadn't been red when Rogue and he had first met. It was only after Apocalypse put his mind control serum into Remy that his eyes changed. Everyone else's ability returned to normal within a few days after the battle on Genosha, but Remy's eyes remained red. She didn't know why. Nor did anyone else (including Xavier). In time they had just learned to except that Remy's eyes were red, and there was nothing else to it. It didn't stop him from wearing dark sunglasses whenever he went out in public.  
"You alright, Rogue?" he asked, his voice more concerned than a casual question.  
Rogue didn't even notice that her hands were to her head. She looked around for a moment, wondering if any of the other students or faculty had seen her. As fare as she could tell no one else was around.  
"Yeah," she replied, her face slightly flush. "I guess beating you in the Danger Room just took a lot out of me."  
Remy smiled. She could tell that he knew she was lying. "Well, you don't have to worry about that with pool. I'll beat you this time."  
Rogue smiled back.  
"There you two are," a deep friendly voice said.  
The two turned and saw Hank McCoy walking down the hall. His giant blue furry figure made him look almost like he belonged on a children's show. His face, although monstrous, always held a warm smile that would immediately melt away any fears from his outer appearance. Hank's giant blue hands could hold the head of a small child, if he wished. But in all the time that Rogue had known Hank McCoy he had never once lost his temper.  
"Professor Xavier is looking for you two," Hank continued. "Please, this way to his study."  
Rogue and Remy knew where the study was. Xavier's study dubbed as his classroom (because Xavier found it more relaxing in the study not for a lack of space). In her years of education at the Xavier School Rogue had taken several courses in the study, and Remy had seen the room during his grand tour of the mansion. Still, Hank's manner's went hand in hand with his kindness, and as a force of habit he lead them to the study.  
Inside Rogue could see both Ororo Monroe and Kurt Wagner were waiting patiently. Professor Charles Xavier, however, was no present.  
  
Charles Xavier sat alone in the empty sanctuary; his own private room in the school. The cold steel encompassed his bald skin. Twin steel wires ran from the helmet to a giant computer. As the days continued, Xavier had become more and more upset with himself.  
It had already been three weeks since they had left Genosha, and no one had heard from his student Jubilation Lee. What was worse, despite several attempts Xavier had not been able to locate her, and he was beginning to fear the worse.  
Not another one, Xavier thought to himself as he took the helmet off and put it on its hold. He turned his wheelchair around on the tiny circle, and then continued back down the platform. He knew that he shouldn't have taken them along, any of them. His teachers were one thing, but the students? What was he thinking, allowing them to pretend to be X- Men before they were ready?  
As the headmaster of the school entered his study he saw that the five he had summoned were already present.  
"I need Nightcrawler and Storm to go down to New Orleans and find Jubilee," Xavier announced. No sense in fluffing it up. "I made a mistake taking her along on the mission, and a bigger mistake letting her go out on her own, but I want her found, now."  
Ororo nodded.  
"Wait a minute," Remy started. "Charles, I know New Orleans. I know what the people are like down there. If you want the girl found, I think I'd have an easier time than those two."  
"Excuse me?" Xavier replied.  
"Look, with all due respect to Nightcrawler and Storm, I know the people in New Orleans. I know where to look, and the places most likely to have information. I mean, I'm sure that those two are excellent X-Men, but they just don't know New Orleans like a local."  
Xavier looked over to his other students.  
"He does make a point," Storm admitted.  
"Alright, do it," Xavier started. "Take Rogue with you, but be careful. I'll book you a plane. Get your things packed."  
Remy grinned and turned for the door.  
And Remy, Xavier added, thinking only to the thief, be careful.  
  
Remy had been packing for only ten minutes when he heard a soft knocking on the door. "It's open," Remy said, not bothering to move away from his dresser.  
The door did not open, but Remy could hear the soft puff of smoke that he heard whenever Kurt teleported. "Remy, is there anything that I can do to help?" Kurt asked.  
Remy smiled. Kurt was a nice man, but he was a bad liar. "What's on your mind, Kurt?" he asked.  
"Are you sure that you want to go on this mission? I mean. after your encounter with the police at the train station?"  
"I don't plan on talking to the police."  
"But still. I mean; this isn't a. test. Their people fire real bullets. And when you lose, that's it."  
Remy finally realized what Kurt was getting at. Out of all the times that Remy had gone to the Danger room, every time Remy had failed. But the Danger Room wasn't real life. Remy knew that. In the Danger Room there was room for error, and the enemies could be impossibly overpowering. In the real world Remy had never been caught, and he didn't mean to start on a simple "missing persons" mission.  
All the same, he did not take offense to Kurt's question. From the look in the X-Man's yellow eyes Remy could tell that he meant no insult, only concern.  
"I'll be fine, Kurt. You have to remember; before I came up here I was a member of the Thieves Guild. And as a thief I was never once caught."  
"Except when you came here." Kurt grinned.  
Remy could not help but laugh. The story was humorous, and yet embarrassing. A master thief; a former member of the Thieves Guild; caught by a girl because he had to snag a kiss.  
"Yeah, well, I don't think my hormones will be my downfall this time," Remy said. He zipped up his suitcase and walked towards Kurt, patting his friend on the shoulder. "'Sides, I've got a job or two that I need to do while down there."  
Kurt looked sternly at Remy, and in a second changed his expression. He believed that Remy was joking.  
Remy wasn't.  
* * *  
Rogue had never liked flying, not since she had been sucked out of the cockpit door at thirty thousand feet. Had it not been for Nightcrawler she would have plummeted to her doom. As it was she was amazed he had not touched her skin (at the time he did not know of her mutation).  
Now, as the 747 climbed to an unknown altitude, Rogue unconsciously dug her fingertips into the armrest. She felt nauseous, but tried to hide her fear.  
Remy sat to the left of her, on the isle seat. He had been nice enough to take that seat so that Rogue wouldn't have to worry about a flight attendant accidentally touching her. As it was when the two had gone through airport security Rogue had been questioned. It probably didn't help that she was wearing long sleeves and gloves despite the sweltering July heat.  
If she had been at the school Rogue would have climbed onto the roof of the school in her bikini. Or now she might just fly up there. The roof of the school was the only place that the nineteen year old had ever dared to wear her swimwear. Everyplace else was too dangerous. She hated that.  
"Would you like something to drink?" the flight attendant asked.  
Her words broke Rogue's random thoughts. She turned her head and forced a fake smile. "Yeah, a diet cola," she replied.  
The flight attendant handed her a small plastic cup of Diet Coke and crushed ice.  
Remy ordered a beer, and promptly paid for it. He turned his head and for a second his eyes met with Rogue's. She gave him a bad look, and then closed her eyes.  
Sometimes she couldn't stand the Cajun. He drank and smoked too much for her liking. Rogue had given up trying to get him to quit the first week after they had returned from Genosha. Now her cloths smelt like smoke, as did his. Maybe on this trip she'd give it another shot.  
"Would you like a sip?" Remy offered.  
"I don't drink, Remy. You know that," Rogue replied.  
Remy shrugged his shoulders, then preceded to drink his beer. Rogue turned her head to the window and opened her eyes.  
She was worried about Jubilee. And even more so, she feared that when they arrived in New Orleans it would be too late.  
  
Rogue had insisted that Remy and her go to the police station and check on Jubilee's whereabouts before they even checked into a hotel. Remy wasn't thrilled about going to the police station for any reason, but he finally agreed to Rogue's request.  
He smiled at her as she walked up the concrete steps that lead into the station.  
"You're not coming in?" she asked.  
"I may have agreed to come here, but there's no way that I'm going in there. Sorry petit."  
Rogue scoffed and rolled her eyes. She continued on her way inside.  
Remy stood for a moment, bored beyond belief. After only a few moments a cop hassled him, but Remy merely lied and told the officer that he was waiting for his fiancée's brother to get bailed out. The cop had bought it, and left the X-Man alone. Remy dug his hands into his pocket and removed a cigarette and a box of matches.  
As the first breath of nicotine filled his lungs Remy felt a hand grab his arm and pull him into the nearest alley. The cigarette fell from his mouth, and Remy looked around for his attacker.  
Remy looked around, and finally he beheld the face of Claude, a thief from the Guild. He could not help but break a smile, and reached into his jacket for another cigarette. "Claude," Remy started. "You scared me. I thought that I was in trouble."  
"You are in trouble, mon ami," Claude replied, his voice void of any emotion.  
Remy's eyes met Claude's. Two more figures emerged from the shadows. Remy recognized one of the men as a member of the Assassin's Guild.  
"Julien wants a word with you," Claude continued.  
Remy reached into his pocket and felt around for one of his playing cards.  
"If you resist, the girl you came in with will be killed," Claude announced.  
Remy looked at the men who surrounded him. He sized them up, and decided that it would be easy to fight his way into the streets, but he didn't know how exactly they planned on killing Rogue. He wasn't ready to take that risk.  
As Remy started to walk forward he could see a limousine pull up on the fare side of the alley. Claude escorted him to the end of the alley and into the limousine.  
As the doors shut like a damned coffin Remy looked around, observing his surroundings, and praying that Julien had not decided to kill Rogue anyways.  
  
Rogue walked into the police station and instantly believed that she had a mistake. She pulled her coat closer to her body as she glanced at all of the wanted posters. Most of them, she noticed, were mutants with strange nicknames much like her own. "Cyclone", "Urban Menace", "Mace", "Cable", "Titan", "Maverick". Rogue decided that it might be a better idea of she used her real name when talking to the police officers.  
She walked up to the receptionist desk and looked at the officer. He was a short man, not more than six and a half feet tall, portly, and Rogue could see that he was balding. He reminded her of Porky Pig, and tried not to smile when he looked down at her.  
"May I help you?" the officer asked.  
Rogue nodded her head. "Yes, I would like to report a missing person."  
The officer nodded. He pulled out a piece of paper and started writing. "What is the name of the person whom you are reporting missing?" he asked.  
"Jubilation Lee."  
The officer paused and looked up. Rogue could see that he was thinking of something, but she couldn't quite read his emotion. "How do you spell that?" the officer asked.  
Rogue spelled Jubilee's name.  
"And your name?" the officer asked.  
"Marie. Perkins." It had been so long since Rogue had spoken her true name. Even at school, she signed her name as Rogue. Very few of the students (and even less of the staff) knew her true first name, and no one knew her last name.  
"Alright," the officer started. "Douglas!"  
A tall black police officer walked towards the desk. He was obviously annoyed that the desk officer had called him.  
"What is it?" Douglas asked.  
"Please take Miss Perkins down to room 14, and then go get Detective Parker."  
Douglas eyed the desk officer for a second, and then nodded. "This way Miss Perkins."  
He extended his hand, and Rogue believed for a moment that he would grab her. She followed him, making sure to stay a few feet behind, just in case the unforeseen happened.  
The tall black officer led her down the hall and finally opened the door to one of the holding rooms.  
Alright, don't panic, he's just taking you somewhere private, Rogue thought to herself as she walked into the room.  
She jumped as the door shut behind her, and looked around at the ominous room. It wasn't fancy, just like all the interrogation rooms one saw in the movies. Two seats, a desk, creepy, a one-way mirror opposite one of the seats and hot. Rogue took off her jacket, now unable to stand having it on. She still wore long sleeves and gloves. One never could be too careful, especially in unknown areas.  
As she was getting ready to sit down in the seat facing away from the Plexiglas the door opened and Rogue watched as an attractive man in his mid- thirties entered the room. He smiled warmly and extended his hand.  
"Miss Perkins is it?" he asked, his voice light and friendly.  
"Yes, and you are?" Rogue replied. She did not shake his hand. She knew that it was bad manners, but that was something that she never felt comfortable doing, at least not since she discovered her mutation.  
"My name is Detective Alexander Parker." The detective did not move his hand for a few minutes. Then, finally understanding that Rogue was not going to shake his hand, he pulled it back and gestured towards the seat that was facing the one-way mirror.  
"Please have a seat," he offered.  
Rogue did as she was told, and Parker sat in the seat opposite her. It was the first time that Rogue had noticed the detective was holding a file in his hands. He set the file on the table between them and opened it up, trying to make sure that she did not see it's content.  
Something was definitely wrong.  
"Uh- I'd like to report a missing person," Rogue said.  
Parker nodded. Finally his eyes moved from the file to her face, then back at the file.  
"My friend, Jubilation, she's been missing for about three weeks. That is long enough to make a report, right?"  
Parker nodded again. "Yes, Rogue," he said, not lifting his head from the file.  
"God damn it if you're not going to listen to me, get an officer in here that will!"  
Parker looked up, a sneer painted his face. Rogue gasped, only now realizing that he had called her by the same name that everyone else did. Her common name.  
  
"Keep still, don't move, and this will all be over soon," Parker ordered as he let the file down. Rogue could see a picture of her from two years ago. She could only assume that the rest of the file was on either her or other X-Men.  
Before Parker could move Rogue pulled off her right glove and leapt across the table. She could feel his skin touch her own, and braced herself for the absorption that she knew was coming. Nothing happened. Rogue grunted, removed her hand and put it on his cheek again. Nothing.  
Parker started to laugh and pushed her backwards. He reached inside of his pocket and removed his gun.  
Rogue stared at him, confused and terrified at the same time. Well if his information is two years old, Rogue thought to herself. The teenage girl levitated herself for a second, and then propelled herself forward like a torpedo. She landed square in Parker's gut, and both she and he went through the one-way window.  
Two men in black body gear were in the observation room. Rogue did not land. She kicked one in the head, and threw Parker's limp body at the second one. Rogue looked around, continent with all three of them being unconscious.  
Rogue bent down and grabbed one of the handguns, then her jacket, and hid the weapon under her cloths. She hated guns, but one could never be too careful. Finally, Rogue handcuffed all three of the men's' hands together and left the room. She started for the entrance, the same way that she had come in, making sure not to run so she didn't attract more attention to herself than she needed to.  
As Rogue turned a corner she saw three more men in the same black body suits as those in the observation room. She jumped back and started searching for another exit.  
  
William Stryker walked into what had been an observation room and looked down, unpleased with what he saw. His inside man, Parker, and two more of his mercenaries lay unconscious on the ground. All were unconscious. Stryker turned to his right.  
"Find her!" he ordered.  
The two mercenaries at his side nodded and went back into the hall. Stryker leaned down and pulled out his handcuff key. Parker would pay dearly if Rogue escaped.  
  
It only took the limousine twenty-three minutes to drive from the police station to a part of New Orleans that Remy had not visited for years. This was the part of town where thieves were plentiful, and a man's life could be bought for only a few dollars, to the right killer. He could see docks to his left, and even from inside of the car Remy could smell the opium, cocaine, and other drug paraphernalia that was being unloaded. Plenty of legal substances were unloaded from the boats as well, just not in as much abundance as the illegal drugs.  
As Remy searched the faces of those who he passed he recognized many. Whores, thieves, assassins, and small business clerks trying to earn an honest living cluttered the busy streets. He was home, although home was not where his heart was.  
The door to the car opened, and Remy looked over. He sat Julien step inside, and as suddenly as the car had stopped, it started again.  
"Remy," Julien rasped. His voice smelt of old cigarettes mixed with rum.  
"Julien," Remy replied, never once breaking eye contact.  
"How're you enjoying our southern hospitality?"  
Remy did not respond. He wanted to know where Julien was taking him, and how exactly his brother in law had decided to kill him.  
"I heard about your partner, Alan. Shame about that. Real shame."  
"Did you do it?"  
Julien shook his head. "No, I thought you did."  
Remy glared back at the leader of the Thieves Guild. He wished that Julien didn't know about his mutation; that would give Remy enough time to charge a card and throw it at him.  
"How could you join with them, after what they did to her? She was your own sister, Julien. They killed her to get to me, and you joined with them."  
"Forgive and forget, my friend."  
"Except when it comes to me."  
"Yes. That car bomb was aimed at you. If you hadn't been so drunk that she took away your keys and left she might be alive."  
Remy continued to glare.  
He did not speak again until after they stopped.  
  
Rogue burst onto the roof of the police station. She had seen two men in black chasing her up the stairs. Although she knew that it would be no problem to knock them both out, she did not know exactly how many men in black there were, and if the police officers were after her as well. Parker certainly had been.  
She moved towards the edge, trying to see how far it was the nearest building. Now was not the time to show off her still unfamiliar flying abilities. Too far.  
She heard the door open again and turned quickly. As Rogue's head turned a gust of wind started to blow, making her hair fly to her right. The men started towards her. As fare as she could see neither of them was armed.  
"Hey, hold up there," the taller one, the black one, started. "You don't have to do that. Just come over here, and we can talk this thing out."  
Rogue took another step towards the edge. "Take another step and I'm gonna jump," she threatened.  
"Go ahead, bitch!" the second man in black screamed.  
The first looked at him, then back at her. "Come on," he started, his voice as calm and warm as the first time he had spoken. "Rogue, we're here to help you, but you have to trust us. Down there, we knew what Detective Parker was planning. Please, just trust us."  
"How do you know my name?"  
"We know about all about the X-Men. Come on, my name's Aaron Tomas. I know you don't want to die. Just come with us."  
Rogue hesitated for a moment. "You're lying."  
Aaron stepped towards her again. This time he was reaching for some sort of weapon, although Rogue could not tell what it was. She did not wait to see.  
Rogue turned and dropped for a minute, then she was floating. She didn't know exactly how she flew, but she knew that she could do it, and had wonderful control despite the fact that she had only been "flying" for the last three weeks. Within a couple of seconds she was on the ground, unharmed, and fully ready to run if she needed to. She turned her head up and could see Aaron and his buddy standing on the ledge. Aaron had something in his hand, but she could not be sure what it was.  
It looked like some sort of a remote or a cell phone, but Rogue could not be sure.  
As she turned to find Remy Rogue heard a thunderous boom. Her eyes rushed to the sky again, only this time when she looked up she did not focus on the two men in black that had been chasing her. Now she saw a giant robot coming in for a landing directly above her head.  
Rogue jumped out of the way of the robot's foot and looked up to get a second view. How in the hell? she thought to herself.  
She knew what the robot was, but she couldn't bring herself to believe it. It was a Sentinel.  
"Halt, Mutant," the robot ordered in a synthetic voice.  
So they talk too, huh?  
Rogue flew into the air, ready to deliver a swift punch to the Sentinel's freakish face. It lifted its arm, as if it knew what she was planning already, and shot an energy wave at her. Rogue fell from the sky into the streets below.  
By now there were people running in terror. She could hear men and women screaming, horrified that the robot might come after them next.  
The enormous android lumbered towards her, knocking over a phone pool as it did. It fell, and Rogue could see a small child in the telephone poll's path. She flew forward as fast as she could, grabbing the child and knocking her out of the way, making sure that at no time their skin touched.  
For a second, the two were safe, and Rogue watched as the child's parents ran towards her. The parents paused for a moment, looking at Rogue the way that most humans did when they saw a mutant, then ran on their way, their child held tightly in their arms.  
Rogue turned, and again she could see the Sentinel preparing to fire another pulse. She flew into the air, and this time the pulse missed. A spray of water spewed from what used to be a fire hydrant.  
She sat down and looked up again. The Sentinel looked around, momentarily losing track of where Rogue had gone. Rogue took the opportunity to strike.  
Once again she sprang into the air, her right hand in the air. As she came to the Sentinel she extended her left hand, and heard a crash as her fist collided with the robot. This model, however, was made out of plastic, not metal. And it did not bend, nor crack. It turned its head at a one hundred and eighty degree angle, focusing on her.  
Rogue hovered in the air for a moment, trying to think of her next move. As she did the Sentinel's eyes started to glow.  
"Crap," Rogue whispered as she saw two laser beams shoot from the robot's eyes. She tried to move out of the way, but the beams curved towards her. Heat-seekers.  
Rogue could feel the impact of the beams. And then she was falling. It seemed like an eternity before her body crashed into the ground. She could see that some of her cloths had been torn. Her right cheek was torn, blood trickling down onto the ground below her. She tried stand up, but could barely move.  
She felt the Sentinel's cold hand grapple her from behind. It lifted her into the air, and Rogue drifted into sleep.  
  
The door to the limousine opened and Julien directed Remy out. As the former member of the Thieves Guild exited he watched Claude walk towards them. "Sir," Claude started as he leaned into the limousine, "the girl that the assassins were watching turned out to be a mutant herself. Another group of unidentified men abducted her using some sort of a giant robot. The assassins are attempting to track the machine, but wish to know how to proceed."  
"I will contact them myself," Julien responded. "Take him into the swamps and meet me back in town."  
Claude nodded and turned back towards Remy. Within seconds the limousine took off, and all that was left was a pickup truck, Remy, Claude and another member the Assassin's Guild who Remy did not know. Claude pulled a revolver from his jacket and pointed it at Remy. "This way," he ordered.  
Remy turned as instructed. He was lead into the darkness of the swamp, where many things lived. His eyes glanced from treetop to the bog, then back to the trees. There were scavengers observing them, waiting to see which of the three would die, and which would leave in the truck.  
"Listen to me, Claude," Remy started. "I know what your doing, but you don't have to. We're thieves, you and I, not assassins. You don't need to do this."  
"Shut up!" Claude shouted.  
He hit Remy on the back of the neck with the butt of his gun. Remy stumbled for a step, and then regained his footing.  
"Please, Claude, don't do this."  
"He said shut up!" the assassin shouted.  
Remy fell to his knees. He started crying, the last desperate act of a man with no other escape. "Please, please, Claude, don't do it! Please, I'll do anything! Don't kill me, please!"  
"Don't do this Remy," Claude whispered.  
The assassin laughed. "The great Remy LeBeau, begging for his life. Let him beg!"  
"Claude, please. I-I'll do anything. I'll leave New Orleans and never return. I'll go to France, Russia, anywhere. Just tell me."  
"Get up Remy!"  
"Legendary, blah."  
"Claude!" Remy turned around, still on his knees. He started pulling at the Claude's legs.  
"Get off of me!" Claude shouted, kicking Remy away.  
Remy's body rolled for a moment, and he was still. Tears still fell from his eyes.  
"I've heard enough," the assassin laughed. "Finish him here."  
Remy could hear Claude approaching him. His hands dug into the ground, tense. He listened, and heard the gun cock. And now was his time.  
Remy turned around quickly, throwing a handful of kinetically charged dirt as he did. Claude screamed as the dirt exploded in his face. He fell to the ground, and Remy could see that both of his eyes had been damaged. The gun fell from Claude's hands as he grasped his burnt face.  
Remy was up, his hand clasping over the revolver. The assassin was still stunned, amazed at what he had seen. But now he was regaining his concentration. The assassin reached inside of his jacket to pull out his own automatic pistol. As the pistol was torn free of it's holster Remy fired, emptying the revolver into the assassin.  
The assassin fired back, barely able to get two shots off before dying. One of the bullets grazed the side of Remy's head. The other hit Claude in the back of the neck. As suddenly as the gunfight had started it was over. Both the assassin and Claude were dead in the shallow bog. Remy dropped the revolver into the water and rushed to Claude's side.  
It was too late to save his friend, but Remy found the keys to the pickup with no problems. He stood up and wiped away his fake tears, then ran back to where they had left the truck.  
It was time to save Rogue.  
  
Chapter Two  
He had rode on a bike that did not belong to him for nearly a three weeks, and he had still not located Chester Blanchard. Logan, the Wolverine, now sat inside of a bar like thousands of other bars that He thumbed through the cards in his hand; two jacks, a king, and two tens. Playing poker was hardly gambling for Logan.  
He had taught himself how to spot people's "tells". Whether a man's body temperature rose when he made a bluff, or he breathed heavier or less, Logan caught it. And if a man had absolutely no tells; Logan could sometimes see the reflection of his opponents cards in their eyes.  
The man who sat across from Logan had no tells, and was smart enough to keep his cards lying down on the table.  
"Bet's to you," the dealer informed Logan.  
"I know," Logan rasped back. He took the cigar from his mouth and exhaled. He liked to take his time before betting. It gave his opponents time to wonder what he had. Logan had already planned on raising the pot one hundred dollars. His eyes gazed to the other three players.  
The man to his right was stringy, and any amateur with an eye for a tell could read his emotions. The dealer's temperature had a tendency to rise whenever he was bluffing, thus omitting a rather subtle scent that only Logan could detect. But the man across from Logan, he was harder to read. Logan did not like him. The man across from Logan reminded him of himself.  
"Raise one hundred dollars," Logan finally announced.  
The man to the right shuffled though his chips and threw out a hundred dollars worth. "Call," he said. Logan knew he had nothing.  
"Call," the man across from Logan announced.  
"I'm out," the dealer announced.  
They went across the table, Logan took only one card; the man to his right took three; and the man across from Logan took none.  
"Bet's to you," the dealer said again.  
Logan looked at his card. Another ten. Not the best hand he could have had, but it was better than two pair. He placed his cards on the table and took another long drag off of his stub of a cigar.  
"Check," Logan announced.  
"Ah, I- I'll bet one hundred and fifty dollars," the man to his right said. Logan guessed that he was trying to buy the pot, but the man to his right had bid too little to do that, and both Logan and the man across from him could spot the bluff.  
"I'll raise you, five hundred."  
"Six hundred and fifty to you, stranger," the dealer announced.  
I can add, Logan thought. He wanted to say it out loud, but hated to lose his temper at poker. "Raise four fifty," Logan announced, throwing the appropriate chips onto the pile.  
"I-I call," the man to his right announced. Maybe the weasel had a pair of aces.  
"Raise five hundred."  
"Raise two fifty."  
"I'm out."  
Now it was time for the man across from Logan to bet. Their eyes met in an unblinking stare. For a second nothing else existed except the two, and their cards. A thin cloud of smoke escaped from Logan's lips, creating a barrier between the two.  
"All in," the man across from Logan announced.  
Logan paused for a moment and stood up. He paced back and forth for a second, but already had made up his mind that he was going to play. He started to gnaw on his cigar. Finally Logan sat down and put the appropriate chips into the center.  
"Call."  
The man across from him glared back and showed his cards.  
  
Logan came out of the bar much richer than when he had entered. A new cigar was in his mouth, filling his lungs with its poisonous fumes. Lucky for him his body regenerated any damage the cigars could do. He paused for a moment, watching the night sky, surveying it for dangers. It had been a habit of his that he believed he would never be cured of.  
Finally content that no danger was near Logan walked down the wooden steps of the bar to the dirt parking lot below and finally mounted his motorcycle.  
The wind rushed at his face as he flew down the highway. It did not matter to where. He was desperate. desperate to remember his past. Now, in his new life, he only wanted to forget. Somewhere, inside his invisible body, he felt pain.  
Jean.  
The memory of her face sprang into his mind like an unseen assassin. Their attraction had been so natural, so primal, and yet so genuine. Within seconds Logan found himself trying to silence his thoughts of her. For almost two years he had been successful, why wasn't it working now?  
The motorcycle turned a corner. He could feel her lips pressing against his again. He felt her warmth flowing through his veins. At that moment he had been whole. At that moment he didn't need to remember his past. His future was enough.  
Another corner. The motorcycle's speed reached over one hundred miles per hour. The feeling of her bare skin against his. Her warm fingertips touching his bare chest, even if it was just as a doctor looks after her patient.  
A third corner. The loss. He watched as the waters from Alkali spewed forward, engulfing her small and fragile body. A water serpent swallowed her whole, and then she was gone. Jean was dead.  
A forth corner. This time, though, Logan could see someone in front of him. He turned the bike as best as he could and felt it skid forward. Logan's body fell onto the pavement, his skin and veins cut, gashed, and scraped as he rolled along the road. On two occasions he could hear the pavement collide with his metal skull.  
He lay still. Had he been almost anyone else he would surely have been dead. He groaned, barely able to move. Logan attempted to focus his eyes on the figure that had been in the road in front of him, but his eyes were not working. He waited, and within seconds they refocused.  
"Whoever that was better be gone by the time I get up," Logan groaned as his flesh reconstructed itself.  
Finally, only minutes after the accident, Logan regained use of his body. He turned towards the figure, still not fully healed. His limbs froze, and for a moment Logan believed that he had truly passed on. Only after the stabbing pain rushed through his body yet again did Logan realize he was still alive.  
But what he saw, it was impossible. It couldn't be.  
She bent down to him. Her red hair seemed to glow in the moonlight. Her smile melted away his pain. She reached forward; her hand touching his chin as lovers touch, and he could smell her. It had been two years, and yet the memory of her scent was as clear as day. If this was a shape- shifter, it was the best one he'd ever encountered.  
"Jean," he whispered, barely willing to utter her name out loud for fear that the phantasm would disappear.  
But she stayed. Her smile did not fade. Not even for a moment. Her gaze met his.  
Yes, Logan, it's me, she whispered to him, although her lips did not move. He sensed her presence even inside of him now.  
Logan got to his feet, unwilling to be overpowered by the vision that threatened to disappear at any moment. "Jean. you're. how. Jean?" he stumbled, not certain what to say first. Emotions had never been his strong point.  
She stood up and nodded. His eyes gazed up at her, and for the first time Logan saw that she had no pupils. Logan took a step back. For a moment he considered extending his claws. This demon that had taken the form of Jean may be out to do him harm.  
Logan, Jean started. A time of great pain is upon us. Kill him.  
"Who?" Logan whispered.  
As he spoke Jean burst into flame, and yet at the same time the flames did not touch her body. She started to drift away from him, and although her eyes were absent of pupils he knew her gaze never left him.  
Kill him, Logan.  
Jean continued to float towards the sky, and Logan followed as much as he dared. When the last ember of her body disappeared into the night's sky he finally fell to his knees.  
"Who is he?" Logan asked to the empty sky. Even as he did, he knew he would receive no response.  
  
Hours later Logan found himself in something that might be considered a small town. There wasn't much, simply a motel, a couple of stores, a gasoline station, and an auto mechanic's. The mechanic's light was still on, but it didn't seem to be open. Logan could have fixed the motorcycle himself with the right tools, but he figured that he'd barter a price in the morning. Now he was too tired.  
He entered the motel office and looked around. It was nothing glamorous. A nine-inch television set hung in the corner; the news was on. The interior was decorated with fake wood. A fern of some sort sat dying in the corner opposite corner of the television. And of course, across from the door sat the manager's desk, vacant.  
Logan walked up to the desk and hit down hard on the bell. He waited for a moment, and then rang on the bell again. As he did an old man with a wild gray mustache and deep sunken eyes came into the room with him. The man looked slightly confused, as if he didn't know where he was. He belched as long as he could hold a burp, and then managed a drunken smile.  
  
"Can I help you?" the man asked.  
Logan groaned, still recovering from the stench on the man's breath. "Yeah, I'd like a room."  
"Of course." The man turned around, scratched himself, the came back to the desk with a record book. "Please sign your John Hancock, and I need forty-two dollars in advance."  
Logan smiled. He loved small towns. You could rent a room for the night with no ID and for only a few dollars. He paid, and then proceeded to the appropriate room. Within seconds of setting his head on the pillow Logan was asleep.  
  
Earl McKenna could hardly believe his eyes when he saw the stranger come into his hotel. But sure enough, it was him, the man whom Earl had been told to look out for. The small town hotel manager went to his phone and picked it up. He squinted and peered at the "Wanted" picture again.  
"Hello?" a raspy voice answered from the other side of the line.  
"Hello," Earl started. "You still looking for that Logan guy?"  
"Tell me what you know."  
  
Logan could hear motorcycle's approaching. An entire gang, he wagered. Just don't come looking for trouble here, he thought to himself. He was about to go back to sleep when the windows shattered. Logan's eyes opened, and he was instantly alert.  
Smoke. Escape.  
He grabbed his shirt from off the chair and raced to the door. Then hesitation. Through the smoke and confusion Logan could smell gunpowder. There must have been about twenty of them. He could hear their hearts pounding in anticipation. They were waiting, for him.  
Logan extended his claws, growling as he did. So they wanted to play.  
The door to the hotel room opened and Logan stepped onto the porch. No shouts of warning were given. No cries were shouted for him to surrender. They merely opened fire, and suddenly the night was ablaze. Logan dove back into his hotel room. He knew that staying out there in the open was suicide, even with his healing ability.  
The gunfire did not slow despite his absence. Bullets whizzed past him, some so close that he could feel the wind rushing past him. A few of them hit him, but instantly bounced off of his bones and the wound was healed.  
He was on the other side of the room, finally. And with only a few swipes of his blade the wall in front of him disappeared. The task might have been difficult, if his assassin's hadn't blown the wall to little more than Swiss cheese. Logan crawled through to the other side and rested for a second, carefully calculating what he was going to do next.  
"Grenade!" one of the gunners shouted.  
Logan's time to think had expired. He got to his feet and ran as fast as he could away from the motel.  
"There he goes!" another gunner shouted over the explosion that rattled Logan's ears.  
Logan felt a slug rip through his shoulder and screamed. He turned and saw that one of the attackers was already on his motorcycle. As the motorcycle charged Logan froze in an attack position. The biker did not stop. Instead he pulled a metallic whip from his belt and swung it around.  
Logan took a swipe for him, missing barely, but barely was too much. As he swung his arm through the air the biker grappled his arm with the whip. He never slowed down. Logan felt his body lurch forward with the speed of the bike, the whip closing in on his hand. He tried to swipe at the whip with his free hand, but the chain did not break.  
Adamantium?  
He put his feet down, and the biker fell from his motorcycle. Logan unwrapped his hand before the biker could attack again. The biker stood, his features hidden underneath a black handkerchief with spotted with diamonds. His eyes were masked by sunglasses. He had bleached blond hair. He rolled up his whip and cracked it again.  
Logan felt his own blood falling down his face. It did not matter. Within seconds the wound had healed.  
The biker cracked the whip twice more, both times missing Logan. There was no doubt in his mind that the master of the whip had missed on purpose. This man knew what he was doing.  
Logan spread his arms, making sure that the biker was aware of his blades. The biker took a step back, then regained his the same deadlock position that he had ascertained earlier. Logan could hear the other members of the biker's gang approaching. He could feel the heat of their glare, observing him, sizing him up.  
How many?  
Logan heard a gunshot. He turned, attempting to dodge it. The dart hit him in the gut, just to the right of his navel. Whatever it was, it didn't hit right. He took the dart out and threw it back, but missed. The gang members laughed.  
One of them came close to him, not the master of the whip, but one of his servants. He laughed and Logan, moving close and then away.  
"Nickel, knock it off!" one of the men shouted.  
"What's he gonna do about it? He's on an acid trip!" the one closest to Logan shouted back. He walked close to Logan and put his hand on the mutant's forehead. "Ain't that right, Logan?"  
Logan growled and punched his right claws into the side of Nickel. Another gunshot and another dart. Whatever it was they were shooting at him it didn't do shit. Logan felt the crack of the whip in his back. He grabbed Nickel with his left hand and stabbed him again with his right. A second crack of the whip made Logan flinch, but when he tore his claws from Nickel this time he pulled down, slicing down the front of Nickel's dying body. A third dart. Logan threw Nickel's body to the ground. He was dead.  
He started forward, ignoring the pain and humility that the gang had caused him. They wouldn't capture him, not without a fight. The laughing had subsided. Now they watched, intrigued at how much more he could take of their miserable excuse for a toxic serum.  
One of them who wielded a gun got off of his bike and stepped in front of Logan, his arm outstretched. He fired, and Logan felt the point of a needle crunch against his skull. He swung his left hand, cutting the gun in two. The next one swipe was going to kill the biker that had just tried to attack him.  
Logan felt his back tears as the whip behind him cracked again. He turned towards the master of the whip, glaring. A fifth dart hit him in the back, just below his shoulder. He fell to the ground, and heard the biker's dismounting their vehicles.  
"Stay away from him!" the leader shouted as he started to lace up his whip.  
Logan fell to the ground; unable to keep his eyes open any longer. They had won. He was captured.  
  
Logan's dreams were the same as they always had been. Men stood around him, joking, laughing. Others stood with medical masks on, playing with lasers, preparing the adamantium. The dream was the same as always. Every time he could feel the pain of the operation again.  
An instant later he was free. He lifted his upper body out of the water, gasping for air. The lines they had drawn on his flesh were still visible. And then, when his hands flexed just so, the claws extended, his claws. For a moment his fists were filled with agonizing pain. Then he dug the claws deep into the flesh of the nearest scientist.  
He was outside. In the cold. In the snow. Barely dressed. He was born, full grown, and dangerous. A freak.  
This time, the dream was different though. Now he was inside of the Xavier school. He looked around, observing his surroundings. The plain wood halls were just as they had been when he left. No carnage was present. It was now. He looked at the mirror to his right.  
"When're you going to kill him?" his reflection asked harshly.  
Logan starred back, unsure how to answer. He flexed his fist, hoping to extend his claws so he could destroy the mirror. Nothing. Nothing happened. His claws were not there.  
"Wolverine!" a voice called.  
He did not have to turn to know who was speaking. The soft hint of a southern accent combined with an uncompassionate disdain for mutant kind could only belong to one man.  
Stryker.  
Logan turned.  
The shorter man stared back at him through the same thin-framed glasses he had been wearing when they had encountered each other last. His thick build was deceptive of how strong he could actually be. Stryker lifted a gun into the air. The gunshot was defining.  
Logan looked down, waiting for the wound to heal. He started to bleed, and bleed fast. Stryker had shot him in a vital spot. Within seconds Logan fell to his knees.  
This can't be happening, he told himself. I can't die. Not like this. I-I'm a mutant.  
"Good-bye, Wolverine," Stryker said as a sadistic smile stretched the length of his face.  
  
Logan lurched forward, awake. The dream, it had been different. Much different than it had been.  
His hands had been tied to some sort of a cross with ropes at the wrists, and those had been covered with heavy chains. His shirt had been removed. He suspected that for some reason or other he was about to be tortured. He could stand torture.  
He looked around, taking an inventory of what was in the room. All that he could see was a welding torch and an above ground pool. Judging by the fumes that the pool omitted it was some sort of acid.  
Guess that explains the bad dreams, Logan chuckled.  
"So you're awake!" a man said from behind Logan.  
"Yeah, asshole, I'm awake," Logan replied.  
He watched as several members of the gang walked in front of him, including the master of the whip. They were accompanied by a man in a suit.  
"You're calling me an asshole?" the suit asked. He had been the one speaking earlier.  
Logan nodded, his gaze always meeting the suit's eyes.  
The suit pulled a knife from inside of his jacket and stabbed Logan. He quickly removed the knife and watched as Logan's wound healed.  
Logan groaned. "That was a mistake. You make another one, and it's gonna cost you your life. Got it, bub?"  
"Do you even remember who I am?" the suit demanded.  
"Can't say I do."  
The suit reached to his inside coat pocket and removed a photograph of a small child. "How about her, you remember her?" he demanded as he flashed the picture in front of Logan's face.  
"Sorry, buddy. You got the wrong guy."  
The suit stabbed Logan again.  
"The wrong guy? The wrong guy! No way you're the wrong guy, Logan! No way! I'd remember you anywhere! I trusted you! She trusted you!" The suit screamed and stabbed Logan once more. He threw the knife aside and went to the table that the welding torch was on and returned with the tool in hand. "You took everything from me, you shit! After twenty years you want to come back here? Were you planning on finishing me off now?"  
Logan groaned for a second. He knew where he was now, Chester Blanchard's. After almost a month of searching he had found him. At the beginning of his journey Logan hadn't know exactly how the old man would respond to his presence, but apparently the former senator had done well for himself. Considering his age, Blanchard looked well. Logan guessed that he survived only on hate and vengeance.  
"I've had twenty years to decide what I'm going to do to you, Logan! Twenty years! First, I'm going to torch your skin!"  
As he spoke the gang member's moved forward and started pouring gasoline on him.  
"Then, when you're almost all the way healed, I'm going to crush whatever's left. And if you're not dead then, I'm going to put you in that pool of acid. Sound pleasant? I think the entire thing can last at least thirteen hours. What do you think?"  
Logan's eyes met Blanchard's. This time it was not as an enemy, but as a man who had wronged another. "I think I'm sorry that your daughter is dead," Logan said truthfully.  
"You're sorry? You're sorry? Damn your sorry's!"  
Blanchard turned on the welding torch and started to move it towards Logan's skin. In a second his flesh was ablaze, but he was not burning. He could feel the heat of the fire, but it formed a protective field around him. Logan looked up, and saw that most of the heat was accumulating on the chains that were not touching his skin. Finally the chains broke and fell to the floor.  
The flames were alive now, neither touching nor harming Logan. His flesh was completely dry. The flames leapt forward, exploding the gas canister that fueled the welding torch. Members of the gang and Blanchard were thrown, but very little damage was done to Logan. But the flames did not stop.  
As Blanchard got to his feet Logan watched the flames form a sort of serpent.  
"Watch out!" he screamed, holding out his hand as if he would stop the flames before they struck their fatal blow.  
An instant later Blanchard was burning from head to toe. With him died yet another lead into Logan's past. The flames continued on, striking down members of the gang with every movement. It was as if the fire itself had become a demon that was there to protect Logan.  
The master of the whip cracked his weapon, slicing down Logan's back. He stepped forward, screaming indistinctly as Logan. As he shouted Logan saw the fire melting the pool of acid, which sprayed onto the face of the master of the whip. He screamed and fell backwards.  
Logan ran to the door, determined to escape the hell that had become in the torture chamber. He stumbled into the streets, uncertain where to go. For a second Logan turned and looked at the house he had just exited. It was ablaze, and being consumed quickly.  
"Wolverine," the voice of a young man screamed. Logan turned and looked. John Allardyce smiled back warmly.  
  
The leader of the biker gang stumbled out of the back door to the house. He fell to the ground, patting out the flames that had almost totally engulfed his right leg. The acid had burned his face, but other than that he was relatively unscathed.  
He looked back inside, happy that Blanchard had died first. His friends had trusted the senator to tell them everything about Logan. Everything. How could he be so stupid not to know Logan could control fire?  
Next time he would be prepared. Next time he would fight Logan not for money, but for vengeance.  
  
Logan sat for a long time coughing out the soot that coated his lungs. When he was finally standing he looked once again at Pyro.  
"Is there something that I can do for you, kid?" Logan asked.  
"Not for me."  
Logan managed a smile.  
"Magneto."  
Pyro nodded. "He wants to meet with you. As a representative of the country of Genosha I'd like to request your presence in our court."  
  
"Your court?"  
"And yours too. We need mutants like you, Wolverine."  
"You tell Magneto to go to hell."  
Pyro raised his arm and grabbed Logan by the arm. "We're not asking you to make a decision right away. We just want you to come to the island, see what you think, and then you can decide when you're ready."  
Logan paused for a moment. It would be a good chance to find out exactly what Magneto was up to. At least this way if his old enemy ever tried something the X-Men would have some sort of knowledge about the country Magneto was in now.  
He thought back to Liberty, when Magneto had captured Rogue. He should have killed him then, when he had a chance. But if he had then right now Logan and every other mutant on earth would be dead. Magneto was definitely not to be trusted. And Logan was sure that if he went to the criminal's "country" he'd have at least a couple of surprises in store for him.  
But he was The Wolverine.  
"Alright," Logan finally agreed. "I'll go."  
Pyro nodded pleasantly. "Okay, there's a helicopter waiting for us. It's about a twenty minute drive from here."  
Logan nodded and followed the boy as he went to a parked car. It was not until the car was moving that he had a sudden and terrible thought.  
How did Magneto know where he was?  
  
Toad stood with his arms crossed and leaning against the helicopter patiently. He had already read all of the magazine that he had brought along with him for the ride, now he was just thinking of getting back to Genosha and finding those two women he'd been talking to before. He looked around again; making sure that no one would come and arrest him. The mutant had known the dangers of coming back into America. He was a wanted man, and if anyone found him he'd be arrested on sight.  
He flicked his tongue and grabbed the fly nearest him, then took the bug back to his mouth and continued to chew it. Just a small snack while he waited. On their way back he'd stop and get a full meal. If the others chose to eat then or not it would be their decision.  
Just as Toad had decided what he was going to eat a car pulled close to the helicopter and stopped. Pyro got out and smiled at his pilot, and Wolverine got out just behind him. Finally someone who can bring people back when they're supposed to, Toad thought.  
One reason he was glad that Sabertooth had not come with them. Pyro was good at getting things done. Sabertooth was just good at screwing things up, and making Toad's life more difficult.  
"Are we leaving?" Toad asked.  
Pyro nodded. He went to the helicopter and opened the Plexiglas door for Wolverine. When both of his passengers were inside, Toad got into the cockpit and started the helicopter up.  
"How long is this going to take?" Wolverine asked.  
"Almost a day!" Toad replied, tapping his headpiece.  
"So why're you smiling?" Wolverine asked.  
Toad turned his head. "I get paid by the mile."  
Wolverine smiled at the joke, although Toad guessed it was artificial. Not that it mattered to him. He was not getting paid to entertain anyone, least of all mutants who were friends with that bitch who shocked the hell out of him on Liberty.  
  
It was after dark on the following day that the helicopter set down on the shores of Genosha. As Logan looked around, he found it more and more hard to believe that this was the same island it had been when he left it only a few weeks ago. What had been only a relatively small island with a few stores had transformed itself into a booming metropolitans city- country. The buildings were composed mainly of metal (Logan guessed that they had magneto to thank for that). The streets were crowded with many people, most of whom walked.  
Some looked normal, and at first glance it was hardly evident that they were mutants. Others had scales, unnatural fur, feathers, wings, fins, antennae and even trunks. Every race, color, and heritage imaginable was living all close together, within the same street, excepting one another. He could see places of religious worship, and men on street corners with signs of Armageddon. Truly, this island had become the focal point of all mutant interest, and Logan could not help but be impressed.  
The helicopter set down, and Logan was happy to get out and stretch his legs. He had the chance to do so only once curing the flight. Without a word Toad got out of the vehicle and went on his own way. Logan guessed that he was tired, and didn't blame the pilot. They had been flying for almost thirty-six hours. While he and Pyro had been sleeping, Toad had to stay awake and fly.  
Pyro put his hand on Logan's shoulder and smiled, breathing in the familiar scents of his homeland. "Welcome to Genosha," he said. "Come, let me show you some of the nightlife."  
Pyro lead Logan off of the helipad and down through the building. They only had stairs, and Logan noticed that the town was entirely lit by torches. Probably hadn't set up any electricity yet, but he was sure it was on Magneto's "to do" list. When they stepped onto the street Logan felt as if he were in down town New York in the eighteen hundreds. He could hear music from various nightclubs, as well as the sounds of drunks and younger mutants causing trouble. Apparently, this was the business district of the island. He guessed that elsewhere was where people would go to sleep in apartments or houses.  
"We have yet to have any serious crime," Pyro started.  
"Mostly cause you don't have too many laws."  
Pyro forced a smile, and then continued on his tour. He pointed out several buildings of interest, none of them Logan had bothered to remember. They passed a street band and exotic entertainers. Finally, Pyro stopped in front of what appeared to be a hotel.  
"This is where you'll be staying. The manager's expecting you, and we've already made arrangements for your room. The bill has been taken care of."  
Logan nodded. He couldn't deny that he was tired, and it had been too long since he had slept in a real bed. Without saying a word he stepped inside. As he did he was instantly greeted by a man with bluish gray scales covering his body.  
"Mr. Wolverine, yessss?" the man asked.  
"Yeah," Logan replied.  
"Thissss way, pleassse." The scaled man led Wolverine up a flight of stairs and showed him into a room. Room one zero three. "Isss there anything you need, sssir?"  
"No thank you," Logan replied.  
He walked inside of the room, half expecting to be ambushed. Instead he found a simple room. Candles had been lit on a dresser. There was a bag of cloths in plain sight. The bed had been made up nice, and to his surprise it was very comfortable. Logan went to the window, glancing out at the crowd below. He simply couldn't believe how many of them there were. Maybe Magneto had been right all along. Maybe this was the best way for a mutant to live.  
  
Logan felt an unexpected wave of sleep wash over him within minutes of arriving on the strange island. He would not sleep heavily here, but then again he never had slept heavily, as best as he could remember.  
As the hours past dreams came to him. He was in a barren world; one that he could barely recognize as earth. The grass did not grow, however there was something that could be qualified as sand lining the ground, for it was stained red. The sun was hidden behind dark clouds riddled with random lightning flashes. The light was followed with thunderous clashes.  
A light breeze blew through the air, and Logan could see what had once been a city. As he continued forward Logan could see graves, and he could feel a shiver run down his spine as he read the names. "Charles Xavier", "Hank McCoy" as well as numerous others who had been either employees or students of the Xavier School For the Gifted marked the graves.  
The wind blew again, and Logan could see skeletons. But the most horrific of sights he beheld was that of an Adamantium skull lying next to Xavier's tombstone.  
  
The hours past and finally morning came. On several occasions Logan had woke during the night. He swore that he felt his bones tense under the same magnetic pull he felt every time he encountered Magneto. Finally he got dressed and went down to the streets. Pyro was already waiting for him.  
"How did you sleep?" Pyro asked.  
"Miserably," Logan replied.  
"Sorry to hear that. Come on, Magneto wants to speak to you."  
Logan nodded and followed. The crowded night streets had dissolved into slow traffic as people walked to their various jobs. It did not take the two long to reach their destination.  
The building looked like some sort of power plant. Mutants worked all around, connecting metallic wires and setting up boards. Logan suspected that they were preparing to turn the power on. Pyro continued forward, not saying a word to any of the mutants that they passed. Finally the two of them came to a room with five mutants. One was Mystique, one was Magneto, one was Sabertooth, and one Logan did not recognize. The fifth was Jubilee.  
Logan extended his claws and growled. He felt a magnetic pull on his bones, and the claws retracted. Magneto.  
The eldest of the mutants present turned around, smiling warmly. "Logan, how good of you to join us. When Pyro announced you were coming I didn't quite believe it."  
"What are you up to, Magneto?" Logan demanded.  
Magneto looked around innocently. "Right now, we're trying to turn the power on for Genosha. Jubilee has been gracious enough to lend us her powers for this task."  
"Let her go. now and I'll let you walk out of here."  
"She can leave whenever she wants, isn't that right Jubilee?"  
The Asian girl nodded. She looked at Logan scornfully, as if he had insulted her.  
"What have you done to her?"  
"He's done nothing!" Jubilee started. "He's done nothing but give me a purpose. That's more than Xavier ever offered."  
"Logan, please," Magneto started. "I don't want a fight. Mystique can oversee this project from here. Please, come with me."  
Logan hesitated. He hated that Magneto had control over every move that he made. To his surprise, however, the strain that had been on his claws was relaxed. Logan found that he still had full mobility of all of his body parts.  
"Please," Magneto replied.  
Logan paused for another minute, then looked back at Jubilee. "I'm not leaving this island without you."  
Logan turned, following Magneto at a few paces distance. He didn't like the setup. His suspicions were correct. Magneto was definitely up to something.  
"I know you don't trust me," Magneto started. "And I haven't really given you any reason to. I was against you on Liberty, I betrayed you at Alkali, I've taken in students of yours, and I even killed a major link to your past.  
"But I'm asking you to trust me now, Wolverine." Magneto paused and turned around. "The mutants here, they're good people. But we need laws. And we need mutants to enforce those laws."  
"Are you saying that you want me to be some sort of a cop?"  
"Exactly. Think about it, we'd start you off with a generous salary, a home, and you could even choose your own task force. You may even recruit from within the X-Men, if they desire to become citizens of Genosha."  
"Are you nuts? After what you did to Rogue-"  
"As I recall my intentions with Rogue and Charles were foiled by you and the X-Men."  
"After what you tried to do with Rogue you want me. you expect me to work with you?"  
Magneto paused. He started to move so that he was between Logan and the workers in the power plant. "Look at them, Wolverine. They have leadership, but I am an old man. Ten years, maybe less, I'll be gone. You know that, I know that. They need protection from the outside world, but every man woman and child here would be willing to defend this island with their lives. And, sure enough, soon they will need protection from themselves. Who would you have be in charge of this operation? Sabertooth? He is a great warrior, but you know as well as I that he cannot operate piece on his own. As much as I hate to say it, neither can Pyro. I was hoping that my son, Quicksilver, would lead, but he and his sister bare me ill will."  
"Quicksilver's your son?"  
"You know him? Please, tell me that he hasn't started working with Charles."  
Logan snickered. "No. Nothing like that. We just had a brief meeting." Although now that he thought about it he could see how Quicksilver resembled the man standing in front of him.  
"Will you help us, Wolverine?" Magneto asked, no returning to the subject at hand. Logan knew that Magneto was not easily sidetracked. "Will you help us preserve the piece on Genosha?"  
  
"You're nuts." Logan pushed past him, and then paused. "How do I get off of this insane island?"  
"Toad will fly you to the mainland, of course. Anywhere you like."  
Logan turned. For a brief moment he thought of how humorous it had seemed to him when he first heard of the X-Men having nicknames. Now everywhere he turned mutants had taken their own names. Toad he remembered, but wasn't sure he trusted. Either way, Logan suspected, in a fair one on one fight he could take Toad.  
"Fine. Get him."  
"I'm afraid he's still tired from the flight yesterday," Magneto announced. "Please, stay until at least tomorrow. Give yourself some time to think about it. If you feel the same way tomorrow, then Toad will fly you."  
Logan felt as if he was being tricked somehow, but didn't see any other choice.  
"Alright," he said. "Tomorrow. But if you double cross me you'll need a lot more than magnetism to keep me from getting you."  
Magneto nodded pleasantly. "Please feel free to wonder the island. Any stores or restaurants you visit, tell them that I will cover your bill."  
Logan nodded back, trying not to look too concerned with what Magneto had said. This was a mistake, he thought to himself.  
  
"Want me to follow him?" Sabertooth asked as soon as Wolverine was out of the power plant.  
"No," Magneto replied. "Let him go out on his own. I want him to witness for himself what we are trying to accomplish here. If you do see him, be courteous, and continue on your way."  
Sabertooth growled, his lack of approval evident to his master. Suddenly he snapped at attention.  
"Don't think I have forgotten that metal is in your bones as well. You will do as I say, Sabertooth." Magneto released the adamantium in Sabertooth's bones.  
"He doesn't know that," Sabertooth muttered as he walked away.  
  
Jubilee sat on the shoreline just as she had the first evening she arrived on Genosha. Now her thoughts were the same as they had been then. She was glad that Magneto had let her of off work early today. Seeing Wolverine had just made her feel so confused. He had told her that all of the X-Men were dead.  
But he had no way of knowing that some of them made it way. How could he? After all, Magneto and his men hadn't even arrived until after the fighting was over and all the graves had been dug. But if Wolverine was alive, who else was? Kitty, Rogue, Bobby, even mister Wagner could all still be alive. She hated not knowing.  
Lance sat down next to her, crossing his legs slightly. "You okay?" Lance asked.  
Jubilee turned towards him, only now knowing of his presence. "Yeah, yeah. I feel fine. Just thinking."  
"Want to vent?"  
Jubilee smiled. "No thanks, this is one of those things I need to sort our for myself."  
"Want to surf?"  
She chuckled sincerely. "Can I ask you a question?"  
"Sure."  
"Even with all that you have here, the safety and acceptance, the great job and benefits, if you found out that your family was still alive, would you leave?"  
"In a heartbeat."  
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking too."  
She paused for a moment, staring off into the sea. In the distance the two of them could see dolphins playing. Jubilee wished she could swim out to them and just forget about life for an hour or two.  
"You're going with him, The Wolverine, right?"  
Jubilee nodded. "I am. The school, up there, it's my whole life. If even only some of them are still alive, I need to go back."  
"Want company?"  
"That's okay. Magneto needs you down here. He needs you to build his mutant safe haven."  
Lance nodded. "Want some company until you leave then?"  
Jubilee's hand met his. "That would be great."  
  
Pyro watched from a distance as Jubilee announced she was leaving. He was furious. First Rogue, and now Jubilee. How dare they defy him? What did she even see in that guy Lance? Pyro knew himself to be twice as handsome and intelligent than that redneck.  
"Go back and play with your tractor," Pyro muttered to himself.  
Jubilee was his. Magneto had promised that she would be his. And now Lance, the hick from Louisiana was going to steal her from him! He didn't think so. Pyro pulled his lighter from his pocket. His lucky lighter. He started to flick the cover open then closed, and open again. He was developing a plan.  
And once Lance is out of the way she will be mine, Pyro thought to himself.  
  
Logan had spent much of his day searching the island. Despite his outrage at Magneto, he was truly curious about the island itself. Everyplace seemed so open, so trusting. Not something that Logan was used to. He could have afforded the food that he ate, but decided that if Magneto was offering to take the bill why refuse? Logan bought nothing else.  
Now, as the day faded into night he watched as the streets started to crowd. It was almost exactly like the night before. Women were dancing in the street and small bands played their music. Those who were working had genuine smiles on their faces. They had all found something here, and it was safety. Magneto had made good on his promise to the mutant people of earth.  
"Hey, stranger, feel like buying me a drink?" a woman asked as she walked up to Logan. She didn't look a day over twenty-seven. Her eyes were deep brown; her hair was curly and with blond highlights hanging down to her mid back. The only thing odd about her was her arms; which reminded Logan of Peter from the school, completely covered in metal.  
"Sorry, missy, I'm only here for the night."  
"I'm not asking you to marry me, just buy me a drink."  
Logan rolled his eyes slightly and turned his head to the nearest waiter. "Hey, get the lady something to drink," Logan barked. The waiter nodded courteously and returned within a minute with the woman's drink. Logan paid him and he went away.  
"Thanks," the woman said, taking a sip of the drink then starting to walk away.  
Logan watched as she walked farther from him. Her eyes always met his, and he could see a flirtatious smile on her face. Finally he stepped away from where he had been standing and started after her. As he did the woman's smile grew to a grin, and she waited for him to catch up to her. When he did, she kissed him gently on the cheek, and continued to walk through the crowds.  
"What the hell?" Logan asked.  
He continued after her. The woman with the metal arms smiled, beckoning him to follow her to an unknown destination. Why am I doing this?  
As Logan got outside of the city he paused, looking around for the woman with the metal arms. She waited for him, not more than three dozen feet from the marinas. He walked down to her, instantly entranced by her.  
"Who are you?" Logan asked.  
The woman leaned in close to his ear. Her voice trembled as she spoke, making her seem so fare away despite the fact that she was only inches from him. "My name is Pandora."  
Logan felt a punch land in his gut. He flew back several feet, unprepared for the impact that came with the woman's punch. Whatever affection he had held for her only moments before had dissipated and was replaced with his will to protect himself. Logan leapt to his feet, barely hearing the snink as his claws extended. He waited as the woman stepped forward.  
She launched another punch towards his face, but Logan easily caught her fist. He held it at bay, and then attempted to kick her in the head. As his leg lifted in the air Pandora moved her free hand back, knocking his kick away. Her right leg flew into the air, kicking his left cheek. Logan's grip on her wrist loosened, and Pandora freed herself. She punched him in the face. He lunged his claws towards her, and she caught him by the wrists. Logan watched helplessly as she lifted her legs into the air and kicked him in the face.  
He stood up again, this time he saw two figures. The other was Sabertooth. Logan couldn't help but form a smile. "Magneto put you up to this, huh?" Logan asked.  
Sabertooth smiled back, nodding his head no. Logan was surprised, he didn't think that Sabertooth would have the balls to attack him without his master giving the okay.  
Pandora took a step forward, but Sabertooth put his hand in front of her. "Come on, runt. Let's see what you've got."  
Logan growled. He started forward, waiting for Sabertooth to attack. It didn't take long for the bigger mutant to swing. No mistake, he was swiping for Logan's head. Logan ducked, but Sabertooth swung with his other arm, hitting him in the gut. The smaller of the two turned around then estimated the distance between himself and Sabertooth. Sabertooth reached his massive arms above his head and Wolverine dug his claws deep in the monster's gut. The bigger mutant growled, surprised by the sudden pain. Logan quickly removed his claws, readying himself for a second attack.  
Sabertooth tried to swing at Logan again, but Logan ducked and swiped his claws across Sabertooth's face. He punched him twice more in the gut. If it weren't for Sabertooth's healing ability the bigger mutant would have been dead by now. Instead he merely swiped at Logan, sending the smaller mutant flying backwards through the air into some boxes.  
His entire body hurt, but Logan was determined not to lose this battle yet. As Sabertooth approached Logan flung himself in the air. His claws landed in the chest of the bigger mutant. Logan removed his left claw and stabbed the Sabertooth twice more. He hooked his leg behind the bigger mutant's knee, pulling him to the ground. Logan pulled his fist back, retracting all but one claw. This was going straight into Sabertooth's eye.  
He couldn't move. His limbs had frozen in place. Logan wanted to kill Sabertooth, but he just didn't have the strength to fight the invisible force that held him in place. It was only then that he knew what was happening. He had been set up.  
"Wolverine, I'm shocked," Magneto said as he came into view.  
Logan wanted to stab Sabertooth more than ever. His body was still frozen.  
"He started it. The two of them," Logan announced. Thank god he could still talk.  
Magneto's attention turned to Sabertooth. "Is this true?"  
"No. He came after Pandora. Followed her all the way out here from town. When he saw that she was with me the runt tried to fight me."  
"That's right," Pandora lied.  
Magneto's attention turned back to Logan.  
"I try to offer you paradise and this is how you repay me?"  
"Paradise my ass, this is just another place where you can train your 'anti-human mutants', isn't it?"  
Logan could see Magneto's nose flaring. He had struck a cord with that. "Find a boatman, I want him out of here tonight," Magneto ordered.  
Chapter Three  
Robert Drake pushed his arms upwards, completing his final pushup and resting the weight where it had started. He sat up, tired and sweaty, and then rubbed his towel over his face. For a moment Bobby's eyes gazed around the room, admiring the set up. The others, he knew, were all security guards as well. Most of them had been working for years, he, however, had only been working there but a few weeks. The other guards had not yet adopted him into their system, which was fine with Bobby. He didn't much like them anyways.  
Bobby stood up and walked into the changing room, showered, cleaned up, and finally got dressed in his casual cloths. Work was over, and it was time to move into his new apartment. The girl he was moving in with seemed nice, although he had never met her face to face. They weren't in a relationship or anything. And she had made it clear over the phone that he was not to hit on her; otherwise she'd toss him out.  
That was fine with him. After Rogue, Bobby didn't much feel like dealing with women. She was also a few years older than he, and that made things even more intimidating intimacy wise.  
He walked out back to the moving truck that he had rented and started it up. Traffic was heavy that day, so it took him thirty minutes to drive only a few blocks. If he weren't moving he'd simply walk.  
Bobby removed two small bags from the back of the moving van, walked up the stairs, and knocked on the door leading to apartment 420. Bobby snickered, knowing the apartment number was really 402, but had been changed a drug reference. He already liked her. Bobby knocked on the door, and a woman with blond hair cut as short as his own answered the door.  
"Yeah, whatever it is you're selling I don't want it," she said.  
From the smell that erupted from the apartment Bobby could tell something was burning. She started to close the door but Bobby put his hand in the way.  
"My name's Bobby drake, I called about the room for rent, remember?"  
The woman's eyes rolled slightly behind her thick-framed glasses. "Oh yeah!" she said, elongating her words as if her memory was just started. "I remember. Could you. excuse me just for one second?"  
She closed the door and Bobby could hear some crashing around. "Shit!" More crashing. Water running. Finally the door opened again.  
"Sorry about that, Piper Danvers." She extended her soot-covered hand.  
Bobby nodded, trying to be courteous.  
"Oh, shit. ahh. do you cook?"  
"A little."  
"Better than me I hope. Come on in."  
She moved out of the way and started to wipe the soot on her robe. The apartment was kind of a mess. Dirty dishes cluttered the kitchen sink and counters. Bobby could see charbroiled bacon on the top of the trash container. The living room wasn't much better. Pillows and blankets cluttered the floor. The television was on some random soap opera. DVDs' lay scattered on the floor. The shelf they belonged on was empty. Piper would not let him even see her room because it was "too messy".  
"Here's your room," she announced, opening the best room in the house. It was completely empty. Not bed, no nothing. A little dusty, but Bobby couldn't fix.  
  
The minutes passed into hours and Bobby unpacked the van, and in time his things. He had cleaned up the bathroom, being sure to respect Piper's belongings. She had offered to buy the two of them a pizza so they could become better acquainted. Bobby was glad that she was not cooking.  
His room was almost completely unpacked, and Bobby stopped to look at himself in the mirror. He had changed so much in the last couple of months. His stingy body had built out into the muscular form that stood in front of him. He had dyed blond horizontal streaks into the back of his hair. And he had even gotten a tattoo that took up most of his back; the Chinese symbol of ice. Appropriate.  
"Food's here!" Piper called from the kitchen.  
Bobby smiled. He walked into the kitchen; surprised to find that Piper had found room on the counters to place the pizza box.  
"Hungry?" she asked as she removed a slice of cheese pizza from the box.  
Bobby nodded. He started looking through the cupboards.  
"What you looking for?" she asked.  
"Plates."  
"There aren't any clean."  
Bobby turned just in time to see Piper drink straight from a two- liter bottle of Coke. "Want some?" she offered, holding the bottle by the neck and shaking it back and forth slightly.  
"When in Rome," he muttered, excepting the bottle from her. He put it to his lips and took a drink, disappointed that the soda was warm. It took him only a second to change that. He handed the bottle back to Piper. She didn't seem to notice. "So, the maid on vacation?"  
Piper laughed herself into a snort. "No," she said, struggling to keep her mouth closed while she ate. "I- I'm just a natural slob. You're not a neat freak are you?"  
"Not anymore."  
She frowned.  
"No, not because of you. The school I went to, it was a boarding school. They were very particular about how we kept the rooms."  
"Hmm. military school?"  
He smiled. "No. Prep school."  
"So you are in college?"  
"Nope. My last couple of years were kind of rough, and I didn't feel like doing any more schooling."  
Piper nodded. Her mouth was filled with pizza, but Bobby could tell that she wanted to speak. He waited. "I know what you mean. I did three and a half years of college. After that I just said 'Piper, enough is enough', and I walked away."  
"So what do you do now?"  
"I clean houses."  
He paused for a moment, looking at her awkwardly.  
"I'm kidding!" Piper laughed. She hit him on the shoulder. "No, I've been working at the local News station. Camera work, mostly. But I'm learning a lot about being a reporter. I hope to write at a news magazine some day."  
Now it was Bobby who nodded.  
"What about you? Got any plans past security?"  
"Not really. I might go into police work. Maybe I'll get really ambitious, go to college and become a lawyer." He took a bite of pizza. It felt good on his tongue. Nice and warm, a perfect mix of tomato sauce, cheese and dough. "Mind if I have another swig?"  
"Not at all, help yourself." She handed him the soda. For a moment their conversation paused. "So, out of every celebrity, living, who would you want to date?"  
"Right into the embarrassing questions, huh?"  
"Yup."  
Bobby took a bite and let his mind roam for a few minutes. "I donno, Anna Paquin I guess. You?"  
"That's such a cop out."  
"What?"  
"Spitting my question back at me. Just becau8se you can't think of some original question you have to copy me."  
"So you're embarrassed about your answer too?"  
"No. It's private."  
"Who?"  
Piper groaned. "Alright, alright. Spiderman, okay? You happy?"  
Bobby started to laugh. "Two things, first of all Spiderman isn't a celebrity. He's a superhero, there's a difference."  
"There is not!"  
"There is too!"  
"Hey, he's in the papers? He's in the tabloids. He's a celebrity."  
"So what? The presidents are too!"  
"That's different. Anyways, what's your number two thing, huh?"  
"Secondly you're one of thousands of girls who falls for an athletic guy who dresses up and feels the need to impress the world with his abnormal abilities."  
"Well maybe if a few more mutants would do that the world wouldn't have a problem with them."  
"Doubtful, very doubtful."  
  
Bobby woke the next day at ten twenty one. Thankfully it was a Saturday, one of the few days of the week that he had discovered both Piper and himself had off. He stretched in bed, tossed, turned, and finally got up to get showered and dressed for the day. At quarter till eleven he exited his room, fully prepared for the day ahead. He had decided that today was the day which he would clean the kitchen. Bobby had given up his hopes that Piper would be a cleanly roommate.  
He loaded the dishwasher, started it, washed what dishes couldn't fit, wiped down the counters, scrubbed the stove, and was halfway through sweeping when Piper woke. Bobby glanced at the clock on the wall, realizing that he had lost all sense of what time it was. The hands pointed to twelve thirty two.  
"Coffee?" Piper managed to groan as she rested against the counter.  
"Couldn't find any. I did however wash the coffee maker."  
She stood, barely able to walk in a straight line as she approached one of the cupboards. Piper tossed through a few items, and finally pulled out the coffee tin, then started to make a pot.  
"How'd you sleep?" she asked, finally sounding more coherent than she appeared.  
"Fine, and yourself?"  
Piper held up one hand horizontally and shook it up and down. "God, how late were we up last night?"  
"You went to bed around one thirty. I stayed awake until almost three."  
She groaned. "I'm getting too old."  
Bobby didn't say anything. Finally, after the coffee was ready and Piper was half way through her second cup she spoke again. "So, what say today I show you the town? You know, let you get used to the sites, find all the fun places."  
Bobby shook his head. "That's okay. I'm good."  
"Oh come on, how long have you been in Atlanta anyways?"  
"Only a couple of weeks."  
"So you don't have any clue how cool this place can be! Please, Bobby. I'm dying to get out of the house and Sunday everything closes early!"  
  
He rolled his eyes. Bobby could picture how the next twenty minutes of their conversation would go. He'd say 'no'; she'd plead 'yes', each time her voice getting more and more pitiful and annoying until he finally caved. He decided to accept her invitation now instead of going through the entire theatrics.  
"Alright!" Piper shrieked after he agreed. "We'll get out of here in about an hour. Be ready, okay?"  
I just have to grab my shoes and I'm ready, Bobby thought to himself. Before he could respond Piper was back in her room. He heard some more crashing.  
  
Piper had made good on her promise. She had actually done a good job of showing him around without taking him shopping for too long. There had been a few stores that Piper had to go in or else "I'll die!" But she had gone in and out in less than thirty minutes in all of those stores. Bobby was beginning to think that she was the world's fastest female shopper.  
It was almost six when the two of them exited an ice cream parlor. Piper was laughing at a joke that Bobby had made only moments before. Traffic was blocked up and Bobby was glad that the two of them had taken the subway. He could hear pigeon's wings flapping as they started to fly away as one. The smell of gasoline filled his nostrils. And somewhere overhead Bobby could hear a jet engine. Three of them. And they were getting closer.  
He looked up and saw three robots descend onto the streets below. Each of the robots were about two stories tall. One of them landed on a parked car, and the alarm was immediately silenced as it was crushed beneath the weight of the robot. Bobby remembered them. They were called Sentinels.  
Maybe they're after another mutant, he hoped.  
A crowd was beginning to gather, and some tourists were already taking pictures of the machines. Bobby could see one man with a video camera aiming at them.  
"Hey! What the hell did you do to my car?" one man screamed as he rushed forward to the robot on the far right. This was the machine that had crushed a car.  
The Sentinel glared at him and growled. Bobby was sure that the sound was a growl. What type of sadistic programmer would teach them how to growl?  
The man backed off. He held up his hands as if he were being held at gunpoint.  
"Robert Drake, stop where you are!" the Sentinel in the middle cried.  
"Shit," Bobby whispered to himself.  
"Bobby, what's going on?" Piper demanded.  
The Sentinel took a step forward, and as he did so the street rattled.  
"Piper, I'll explain everything later, I promise. But right now trust me and run!"  
As he spoke Bobby grabbed onto her arm and pulled as hard as he could. He could hear a laser beam fire from the Sentinel's palm. It missed Bobby and Piper, but instead hit one of the many cars stuck in traffic. There was a scream from the driver, almost instantly muffled by the sound of an explosion. Pieces of the car flew into the air, and Bobby could feel some of it hit his back.  
A second fire was shot; this time the beam hit a building. More flames exploded from what had once been a place of business. As Bobby took a corner he heard the Sentinel's start to lurch forward. They crashed through the building that they had just shot, not stirred by the fact that debris from the third and forth floor was coming down and crashing onto their heads.  
Bobby held out his hand, and the moisture in the air started to freeze, allowing for a slick layer of ice that he and Piper could slide along. Piper was not as graceful as he, but one thing Bobby had been sure to study at the Xavier School was how to slide along any layer of ice, no matter how thin.  
The Sentinels' continued to lumber forward, crushing cars and street signs as they did. Occasionally they would fire laser beams from their palms, but none ever hit Bobby or Piper.  
Finally Bobby turned around and concentrated on the Sentinel in the lead. He lifted his left hand, and started to form a layer of ice inside of the robot's generator. It didn't seem to be effected at first, but finally it stopped. The one immediately behind it knocked the frozen Sentinel out of the way. Bobby watched as the second Sentinel's chest opened up. He saw the missile but knew there was no way to stop it.  
"Watch out!" he screamed to Piper as the projectile flew through the air. He did his best to make an ice wall between himself and the Sentinels, but it shattered upon impact.  
Chunks of ice tore through the surrounding buildings. Bobby could feel his forehead bleeding. He looked around, realizing the explosion had knocked him backwards into a car. He instantly searched for Piper.  
She lay on the ground, screaming and grabbing her leg. He could see blood, lots of it. He hoped she was all right.  
Bobby stood, and as he did he instantly collapsed. He regained his footing and ran to her side. "Piper!" he screamed.  
In the distance he could hear sirens wailing. The police were on their way. The Sentinel's would surely destroy any officer that arrived on the scene.  
Bobby kneeled down next to Piper. "Piper, are you okay?" It was a stupid question; he could see that she wasn't. Her leg was bleeding; luckily the ice had not penetrated her artery. It looked like her right arm was broken as well. Bobby pulled off what was left of his shirt and wrapped it around Piper's leg, being sure to tie it tight.  
"Don't move, I'm going to get you a doctor!" he informed her.  
Sirens died behind him. Bobby could hear police getting out of their cars and shouting inaudible warnings directed at the Sentinels'. The cops were firing, and despite his concern for Piper Bobby forced himself to look at the Sentinel. It was firing back, and it didn't look like the bullets seemed to affect the steal monster. Somewhere, one of the bullets struck it just right. The machine started to spark, then remained stationary.  
Bobby smiled. Maybe all of the cops wouldn't die. Maybe they would escape the terror of the machines after all.  
As his hopes peaked Bobby heard yet another explosion. The third and final Sentinel walked forward, leaving behind the charred bodies of what had been officer's only a few seconds ago. It's eyes focused on Bobby.  
He wanted to fight it, but even as he prepared to make a counter strike Bobby's body rebelled yet again. It forced him to his knees, making him barely able to lift his arm.  
The Sentinel's chest exploded in a brilliant performance of red light. The machine stumbled backwards, away from Bobby and Piper. It crashed into the building behind it, doing unknown amounts of damage to the city that had already been attacked by the metal monsters.  
Bobby turned and saw yet another giant approaching. This one, however, was not made of steel. Bobby knew him as Apocalypse. And, but before he lost consciousness, Bobby witness Apocalypse's hands grasp both him and Piper.  
Chapter Four  
Two and a half years ago, in Germany, the young and naive Kurt Wagner watched his friend work on his machine. Coen held out his hand. "Ratchet," he said in German. They always spoke in German to each other. Kurt's English was still thick with an accent. Coen had been teaching him English among other things.  
Kurt dug through the toolbox and removed a ratchet, then handed it to his friend and mentor.  
Coen had taught Kurt other things as well. He had taught Kurt how to teleport himself. As of current Kurt could only teleport himself up to a mile, but he was working on going farther. Coen had been known to teleport himself up to ten miles. Kurt's mentor could also phase through physical mater, which made it that much easier for him to teleport without fear. Kurt did admire his mentor, for all that he was teaching him, for his mutant abilities, and because unlike most, Coen did not treat Kurt different despite his physical appearance.  
Quite the contrary. Kurt had never even seen Coen with anyone else, human or mutant. He suspected that if he wanted to his mentor could teach many mutants to use their powers, to harness their powers, and eventually master them.  
"How are things in the circus?" Coen asked.  
"Good. There were some Americans that came. They offered me an interview, but it's all the way in the United States. I'm not sure if I'll take it."  
"I'm sure you would do great."  
"I'm not worried about that. I've never been to America. All that I've known is this home. Here, in Germany. I've been to France, Austria, Italy, Spain, and even Britain once. But even there, if I wanted to, all I had to do is drive for a few hours and I'd be home. America, it would take almost a day to fly."  
Coen nodded. "It's a decision that you must make Kurt. But either choice you make, I'm sure that you will not regret it." The machine roared to life. Kurt watched the lights start to illuminate the closed church. "It works."  
Kurt clapped his hands in excitement. "Great! So you're going to sell your machine and get rich now, right?"  
"No. I'm content with this being the only one of its kind. I think I'll just keep it our little secret, alright Kurt?"  
"As you wish, sir."  
"Go and fetch us a bottle of whine, will you? This is cause for celebration!"  
It was Kurt who nodded now. He disappeared in a cloud of smoke, arriving at his destined spot in the basement. Much to his disappointment there was only one bottle of red whine left, and Kurt never drank white whine. He grabbed the bottle and two cups, and then teleported himself back to the main part of the church where Coen waited. Coen poured the cups, both of them filled the same amount, and handed one to Kurt.  
"To the future. To your audition, and to my machine."  
Coen tipped back his head, and Kurt did the same, instantly feeling the cold and slightly bitter taste of the red whine as it slipped over his tongue and down his throat. He put the empty cup down on the table and shook his head slightly. The whine must have been too old. It was stronger than he thought it would be.  
He stepped forward, amazed to find that his legs felt like jell-o. Kurt gazed up, and despite the blurring of his eyes he could see that Coen was grinning at him. Smiling wickedly as Kurt fell to his knees.  
"Coen, what's happening to me?" Kurt asked. The words were hard to speak even in his native German.  
"Coen. I've always hated that name." He put one arm down and cradled Kurt's jaw with his hand. "I am Chimera."  
Kurt fell to the ground, unable to stay awake any longer.  
  
Kurt sat up his bed at the Xavier School and screamed as loud as he could. He could feel sweat pouring down over his face. His hair was completely soaked. He pulled the blankets closer to him then looked at the clock. It was two forty five; too early to wake up. The images from the dream he had had only seconds before still haunted him. Kurt knew he would not sleep again tonight.  
He stood and got dressed. Why did he have to have the dream now? It had been over two years since he had thought of Coen, or Chimera, whichever the man's true name was. Kurt hadn't even mentioned his former mentor since he arrived at the school.  
The mutant walked down the halls of the school, listening to the sounds of what few students were present sleeping. Everything was as it should be. He continued down the stairs to the lower levels. This was where he trained as an X-Man ever since he arrived. The metal floor felt cold, as it always did. He was sure that when Xavier had designed this part of the school he hadn't intended students to go walking around barefoot down there. Probably hadn't even been intending for teachers to go about without shoes. But Kurt had never found a pair that fit his awkward feet well, and finally decided it was more practical to walk without any footwear whatsoever.  
He didn't even realize that he was walking down the hall to Cerebro. His mind had been wandering to his first encounter with the mutant known as Chimera; the good times that they had had; and how suddenly it all ended.  
"You're imperfect DNA.."  
Kurt shut his eyes, willing himself not to think of his former mentor. When his eyes opened he was inside of Cerebro. He stood on the long platform that went to the center of the room. As Kurt walked he felt the same rush as he had when he was a trapeze artist at the Munich Circus. A rush of adrenaline pumped through his veins, knowing that one false move would make him plummet down into the black chasm below.  
Kurt kneeled at the computer on the center circle. He picked up the aluminum helmet from where it rested and flipped it back and forth in his hands. How hard, he wondered, would it be for Xavier to find Chimera? Kurt believed that the mutant was no longer a threat. He believed that by now something would have happened to him to deter his ambition to kill Kurt. But he wanted to be sure. And things would only get worse until he was sure.  
  
Kurt ate an early breakfast around six in the morning, then proceeded to the church only two miles away. He always liked to go early in the morning. He had found that if he got to the church and back before seven usually no one would see him. A couple of teleportations later and Kurt was on the stone steps of the building.  
He rushed inside, hoping that not many people would see him. It was not that he was ashamed of who or what he was, but Kurt knew what people thought when they saw him. They feared him, only because of his looks.  
He dipped his left hand in the holy water and crossed himself. Next Kurt walked to the candles along the wall and lit one. This candle he lit for the man who he had killed only a few weeks before. He knew that it was in self-defense, but the fact that he had killed another human being disturbed Kurt. It made him feel an overwhelming sense of guilt, despite the act was done to defend both himself and the children at the school.  
He continued to the nearest pew and knelt. "Our father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name," he started.  
"What're you praying about?" Kurt heard a child ask.  
Kurt looked up, suddenly startled by the voice of the small boy. He could feel his yellow eyes flicker in the lighting, but the child was not afraid.  
"I'm praying for forgiveness."  
"You look funny."  
Kurt cocked his head. "So do you."  
The child laughed. "Are you a monster?"  
Kurt smiled. He knew that his jagged teeth were showing. "Yes, but not all monsters are dangerous."  
"Chimera is."  
Kurt's smile disappeared. "What did you say?"  
The boy laughed and turned around. He started for the doors. Kurt followed. He wanted to teleport and cut the boy off, but was afraid of causing a seen.  
The boy paused at the door and looked back.  
"He's gonna get you, he's gonna get you!" the boy taunted. He laughed and turned again, leaving the church.  
Kurt was once again on the steps. He looked around, trying to find where the boy went.  
Kurt, the mutant heard from inside his head. The voice was that of Chimera. Thank you for leading me to this land. 'Oh brave new world that had such people in it.'  
Kurt swallowed hard. Chimera had found him.  
  
The meeting had passed, as had Kurt's discussion with Remy. In the short time that Kurt had known the thief they had become good friends, despite the fact that Remy's personal habits disgusted Kurt. He had every bit of confidence that his friend would be able to find Jubilee with the assistance of Rogue.  
He started to walk down the halls, taking long and leisurely steps. His mind wandered.  
"Kurt!" he heard a voice call from behind.  
The mutant turned to see Ororo standing behind him. She smiled warmly, and he returned the smile.  
"You okay? You've looked a little off today."  
Kurt's smiled wavered. He did not want to tell Ororo of his monster. He knew she would worry. "Yes," he replied. "I'm fine. Just a little worried about Jubilee is all."  
"You're a terrible liar, Kurt." His eyes moved from her face to the floor just behind her. He could feel Ororo's hand brush against his cheek. "Hey, what's wrong Kurt? Come on, this is me you're talking to. Whatever you tell me is strictly between you and me."  
Kurt moved his head away from her touch. "I don't want you to get hurt." He started to walk away from her.  
"Kurt."  
He did not turn. His alien-like hands wrapped around the rosary that he kept in his pocket. He silently started to pray.  
"Let me help."  
Kurt knew she would continue to talk to him. He teleported himself to the roof of the school. There he could get solitude. Even when the children were playing below on the weekends during the school year he would retreat to the rooftops for solitude.  
His eyes gazed to the heavens. He could feel tear drops falling down his cheeks. He so loved this place. It had become his sanctuary from the outside world. It had become his home. It made him feel like he was back home, back safe.  
He knew that Ororo would help if she could. She would do anything to help him. And that's what he was afraid of. That Chimera would hurt her like he had tried to hurt him.  
Kurt started to pray.  
  
Kurt's lips moved up and down, trying to form words of prayer, despite the fact that nothing audible erupted from his lips. He tried to look around, but the effects of the drug were strong, and restrained him from moving. The first activity he had attempted was to teleport, but that had proved to be a lost cause. His eyes refused to focus. All that he could be sure was that he was still inside of the church. He could smell the aroma of Chimera's workspace.  
"I know you're awake, Kurt," Chimera said from his workstation. "I also know that the affects of the drug don't completely wear off for eight hours. But don't worry, we'll be done long before that."  
"Wh. d. to me?" Kurt managed to say.  
"I'll be honest with you, Kurt. My mutation didn't originally allow me to walk through walls and teleport like you. Did you know that a normal human uses only ten percent of their brain?"  
He paused as if he expected Kurt to respond.  
"Well, my mutation allows me to use an additional sixty percent of my brain, and it also has given me unnaturally long life. I believe that I am immortal. Which brings me to my next point.  
"I built this machine to extract DNA from other mutants, and make myself stronger. That is why I can teleport like you and why I can walk through walls. The more DNA I attain the stronger that power becomes. So fare, I have fused my DNA with four other teleporters. I can stay in the other dimension for weeks at a time, and travel hundreds of miles in a single teleportation. Unfortunately, when I fuse my DNA with another, the process kills them."  
Chimera started to explain the process of DNA fusion, but Kurt wasn't paying attention. He was trying to escape. And the harder that Kurt tried to move the harder it became to move.  
He wanted to scream. He thought of what would happen to him. He thought of all the horrible things that Chimera would do to him in a matter of minutes. Kurt knew he was never going to leave this church.  
  
Kurt lifted his head from his arms. He looked around. It was almost dark. How long had he been sleeping? He teleported himself inside of the school. The halls were empty. It was late; too late for anyone to be awake. He walked down the stairs to the library, where he always went when he couldn't sleep. Ororo was there, in her nightgown. She was asleep with a book facedown on her lap.  
He walked over to her, half wanting to wake her, half wanting just to watch her sleep. He sat across the room from her, clasping his hands together and intertwining his fingers.  
"I know what I have to do," he whispered at a pitch so that he was sure she wouldn't hear him, "But I am not sure that I am strong enough. I'm not sure that anyone is strong enough. But I know I must try."  
With that he stood up and kissed her gently on the forehead. Ororo moaned slightly, but did not wake.  
"Good-bye."  
* * *  
Kurt had walked all the way from the school to the church. He knew that there had been people who had stared at him, but that did not matter. He needed time to think. And he was glad to take all the time he could before entering confession, one last confession.  
Kurt entered the church. The sound of them crashing open echoed throughout the church. He walked to the confession box and sat down inside. "Forgive me father, I must sin. I may never be able to confess again," Kurt said. "There is a man. he is determined to kill me. He's too strong for the police to arrest. And I'm sure that if I do not go to him he will kill everyone that I hold close to my heart. I do not ask for forgiveness, but I do need guidance. Is there no other actions I can take than to kill him?"  
There was a silence, and for a moment Kurt thought that maybe the other side of the confession box was empty. "Do you plan to kill him?"  
Now it was Kurt who paused. He knew the answer, but dreaded admitting it to anyone out loud. "Yes."  
"That doesn't sound so bad."  
As the words were spoken Kurt saw a face phase through the wood dividing the confession box. He stumbled backwards, out into the main part of the church. Chimera stepped through the box, not pausing to maneuver around physical objects, but merely walking through them.  
"Kurt, it's so good to see you again."  
Kurt looked back at his former trainer, terrified. His eyes gazed to the statue of the Angel Michael fighting a Fallen Angel. Both of them were armed with swords. Kurt got to his feet and grabbed the sword that Michael had been holding. Chimera smiled, teleported, and picked up the sword that the Fallen Angel had been holding.  
Their swords met. As they fought Kurt advanced, then Chimera.  
"Kurt, have you done this before?" Chimera asked.  
"Never."  
"I'm impressed."  
Chimera's sword moved in for an advance, and Kurt blocked it easily. He swung his sword downwards, trying to hit Chimera in the head. The villain blocked with his sword.  
Kurt leapt backwards, now standing on the pews. Chimera followed. As the two fought they stepped backwards. It was Chimera who lunged forward, and as he was about to stab his apprentice Kurt teleported to the head of the church. The villain fell through the pews in front of him. It only took Chimera a second to get to his feet.  
He held his sword in the air with both hands and started to charge Kurt. His body phased through the pews between Kurt and himself. Kurt countered by advancing. Chimera phased again, and Kurt fell forward, his sword wedging itself in the pulpit. He struggled to get it up only for a second, then teleported to a chandelier.  
"What's going on here?" the two heard a voice asked.  
The priest looked confused only for a second. Chimera grabbed Kurt's sword and threw it at the priest, impaling him.  
"No!" Kurt screamed, knowing that the priest was already dead.  
He could hear sirens.  
"Kurt," Chimera started.  
It was time to escape, before Chimera killed more innocents in his desperation to kill Kurt.  
"I just want you to know, since we last met I upgraded myself. I'm now telepathic as well."  
Kurt's eyes went wide with fright. He knew he had to escape now. He teleported himself to a nearby rooftop. Kurt knew that Chimera would follow quickly, especially if he was telling the truth about being telepathic.  
Chimera started to appear, and Kurt jumped in the air. When Chimera's body was fully present Kurt's feet met his gut. It was enough to surprise the villain. Kurt kicked at him with his left foot, and as he did Chimera caught his leg. Without thinking about it Kurt turn his body counter clockwise and hit Chimera in the face with his right foot, simultaneously loosening his left leg so he could land on all fours. Chimera fell backwards, and off the roof.  
Before he was more than a few feet down Chimera teleported himself to the ground below. Kurt did not want to give him a chance to regain his strength. He jumped after Chimera, teleporting in mid air so that his arms landed on Chimera's shoulders; his legs kicked his former teacher in the back. Chimera's body went flying forward into the front of a car.  
Kurt rushed to his enemy, who was already on his feet. He threw a punch with his left hand, which Chimera caught with his right. He threw a second punch with his right hand, which Chimera caught with his left. Kurt rushed his head forward, head butting Chimera. He kicked him in the gut, and Chimera groaned.  
"Good work, Kurt. But not good enough."  
Chimera phased through Kurt and grabbed him the by the back of the neck. He started to push his former student forward until they were by the door of the car. Chimera punched through the window and unlocked it. He opened the car door and put Kurt's head in-between the door and the body. Kurt felt the impact of the car door shutting on him twice. He knew that if Chimera wanted he would be dead, but he also knew that Chimera needed him alive.  
Kurt wrapped his tail around Chimera's neck and squeezed tightly, at the same time he pulled backwards. Chimera moved backwards. They were both in the streets. Chimera knocked Kurt's tail away from his throat with his free hand. He spun his former student around and pulled back one fist.  
The two of them heard a truck horn blaring. They turned, just in time to see a Mack truck ram into Chimera. His severed hand still clutched to Kurt's shirt. Kurt knocked it away quickly and teleported to safety.  
  
Chimera watched as the truck driver got out of his vehicle and walk towards him. "Oh my god," the truck driver said. "Oh my god." He ran to Chimera's side. Chimera's body had already almost totally healed. "Are you alright sir?"  
Chimera lifted up the arm that was still attached and snapped the truck driver's neck. He stood up. "No."  
He looked around; Kurt was gone, but still close. He walked to where his severed arm lay and picked it up. As soon as he held his stump of an arm to the limb it started to heal together.  
"Round one to you, Kurt. "I'll be around."  
Chimera turned and started to walk away. He had all the time in the world.  
  
Ororo Monroe woke the next morning still tired, but refused to sleep any longer. As her eyes opened she saw the Kurt was crouching in the corner on the other side of the room next to the fireplace. His eyes were closed, although he did not seem to be sleeping. She wondered exactly how long he had been waiting for her to wake. Ororo did not want to move, knowing that whatever was troubling him was bad enough so that he needed his rest.  
She maneuvered herself in her chair, trying to make herself comfortable and eradicate the pain in her back. As she moved Kurt's eyes opened and he jumped to his feet. Something was definitely wrong.  
"Kurt?" she said, trying to disguise her voice as if she wasn't fully awake.  
"Yes," Kurt replied. "You startled me."  
She smiled flirtatiously and looked into his yellow eyes. "So did you." Then she added, "What are you doing huddled in the corner over there?"  
"Just taking a nap."  
She waited for him to speak for several minutes. Finally convinced that he was going to be as secretive as he had been the day before Ororo stood. "Well, I'm going to get dressed. See you at breakfast." She walked to the door, giving him a final look back for an invitation into conversation. He said nothing, and she turned her head. He would talk when he was ready.  
"Ororo wait!" Kurt said, his voice hinting at urgency. She wasn't mad at him enough to ignore him.  
"Yes?" Ororo asked, turning back once again.  
"I have to tell you something. Something that I've been hiding from you, Scott, even Xavier the entire time that I've been at this school. Something about my past that has resurfaced again."  
  
Kurt had explained his entire relationship with Chimera. How he had met him, how he had been taught to exorcise his mutant abilities, the betrayal, and finally his escape. "I don't know what type of drug it was that Chimera gave me but whatever it was it wasn't strong enough. As soon as he removed that needle the first time I just wished that I were somewhere else. I just pictured myself inside of a graveyard that I played in as a child. The graveyard wasn't too far from where Chimera's church was. And suddenly, just as suddenly as my first teleportation, I was there. At first I thought I was dead. When I discovered that I wasn't, I ran. The next morning I was on my way over here for an audition with that American circus. That is why Stryker caught me back then."  
Ororo nodded. "That's a big secret."  
"Now Chimera's back, and he's hell-bent on fusing my DNA with his own. I don't know why he wants my DNA, or why he's waited so long, but he's back. And I have to leave. I have to confront him."  
She paused. Finally Ororo stood up. "If he's as powerful as you claim then you're going to need help."  
"Ororo, you know that-"  
"I know that if you don't have help and you go against this guy that he's going to kill you. And I know that I care about you too much to just watch you go and get yourself killed. Just give me a half hour to get some things together." She turned and started off.  
"Ororo," Kurt called, his voice the same tone of urgency as before.  
"Yes?"  
"Thank you."  
She did not reply. But whatever happened he was truly thankful that he was not going into this battle alone.  
  
Chimera sat closer to the Xavier School than Kurt would have guessed. From that distance he could monitor all of Kurt's thoughts, and all of the thoughts of this woman that he called Ororo Monroe. He smiled to himself. Kurt was becoming braver than he would have guessed.  
Well come on, Chimera thought to himself. I'd be happy to make her acquaintance.  
Chapter Five  
On the same day that Xavier sent Rogue and Remy to New Orleans Kitty Pryde woke with thoughts of Jacob, the mutant she had known as Reaper. She stirred from her bed, still not dressed yet, and opened the hardcover book on her dresser, Brave New World. There sat the four leafed clover she had found that day she had returned from Genosha. She but her hand down and let her fingertips outline it's curves, it's veins, and it's body.  
"Jacob." she whispered.  
She closed to book. Deep in her heart she knew that it was truly silly of her to get as upset about him as she was. They had only known each other for a few days. And most of the time that they did know each other they had been enemies.  
Kitty prepared herself for the day that lay ahead of her. Forty-five minutes later she was ready for the day. Her mother had already left for work. Typical. She rushed outside and hopped on her bike. It was only a short trip from her house to work. Five minutes by car, twenty minutes by bike, and thirty-five minutes by foot. Today she had made it to work in a record time of sixteen minutes.  
Beth smiled at her as she entered the back room of the music store. "Hey Kitty, what's up?" Beth asked.  
"Not much, how have things been here today?"  
"Been quiet."  
Kitty rushed to her locker and pulled her work shirt over her casual clothes.  
Beth stood up and offered a cup of coffee to her mutant friend. Kitty refused.  
"There was a guy who came in and bought just about every Led Zeppelin CD we have. Other than that no one out of the ordinary."  
"Zeppelin junky? No kidding. Any other weirdo's running around I should know about?"  
Beth shook her head. "Not that I know of hun. Hey, you still on for that Evanescence concert?"  
"Course! With the price we had to pay for those ticks, you think I would miss it?"  
Beth smiled. "Alright. I'll see you after work, right?"  
"Yeah."  
  
Stocking the shelves wasn't a part of Kitty's work that she especially liked, but it gave her a chance to space without having to worry about her manager getting mad at her. She took pride in her work, making sure that the artists went in logical alphabetical order, and that the albums were arranged by year of release.  
Her mind surfed from idea to idea. At first she thought of College in the fall, and of her courses of study. Then she thought of the X-Men, and how much fun it would be to actually be part of their team. She wondered about how Rogue and Jubilee were doing. She was curious if the two of them still hung out or if they were too busy preparing for college, or hanging out with boyfriends.  
Kitty still wasn't sure what she thought of Rogue's new boyfriend, Remy. She thought it was a little slutty of Rogue to break up with Bobby and start dating him almost the next day. But she also knew that Rogue might be a lot of things, but a slut she was not. A slut she could not be even if she wanted to. Kitty smirked immaturely.  
She wondered if Jubilee had received the letter that she had left her. She wished that the two of them would e-mail her once in a while. It was so hard to keep in touch over distance.  
But as soon as she had returned to the school her mother had removed her. Her friendships had been severed so suddenly she barely had a chance to say good-bye. It hadn't been long after that when Kitty had been accepted to the University of Illinois, and she had decided to work at the music store during the summer to get come cash. But she still missed the school. She missed her home away from home.  
Her cart was empty, and Kitty knew that if she should start looking for someone to help with their music selections. The problem was that there weren't many customers in the store. She could see a boy and a girl flirting by the country music section. Another boy was bobbing his head up and down to the demo tunes that were playing on a set of headphones. There were about a half a dozen customers walking around, searching the shelves for their various selections.  
She sighed. A boy a little older than she was looking through the shelves; and he appeared to be confused. He probably needed help. If this was his lame way of hitting on her then he was in for a surprise.  
"Excuse me," a voice called from behind her. "Are you Miss Pryde?"  
Kitty turned. Her face lit up as her eyes met a familiar face. Indeed she could see from his expression that he was happy to see her too. "Jacob," she gasped, barely ably to say anything else.  
"Hey Kit-Kat." His smile did not waver as he spoke.  
"Is that really you? I mean. this isn't. it's you, right?"  
"Did you get my clover?"  
Her arms wrapped around him and she pulled him tight to her body. She couldn't believe it. She thought for sure that he was dead. She had seen him fall. She had seen him die, and yet here he was. And she knew it was him.  
She pushed herself away from him. How could he do that to her? Make her think that he was dead like that? And not so much as a single phone call or letter to let her know that he was alive! He had made her think that he had killed himself for her, that bastard!  
"Kitty." he started. His voice trailed as if he were searching for the right words to say to her.  
"Why? Why didn't you contact me? Why didn't you just tell me that you were alive, Jacob? Why did you do that to me?"  
"I wanted to. but it wasn't safe. I've spent my time hunting down Apocalypse. I knew if he truly believe I had feelings for you that he would surely hunt you down to get to me.  
"I found him, Kitty. I found him, and I cornered him. He was beaten, broken. pathetic. I. I remember having him cowering in a corner. I was so ready to kill him. I wanted to kill him. I knew that I could. And at that instant I realized that I had become no better than him.  
"I- I went back to the school to look for you. You're the only thing that has been good in my life since before my parents die, I know that now. I- I'm not asking you to forgive me Kitty. I don't expect you to do that. I've given you no reason to. I'm just asking you to give me another chance. Please. Don't tell me that I've messed things up so much between us that I don't deserve a second chance."  
She could feel tears building up in the corner of her eyes again. She felt as if he were dying in front of her eyes again.  
"If you want to see me again I'll be at the Turning Creek Restaurant. tonight. at eleven. Meet me there. If you don't believe me, or just simply don't want me in my life, I won't bother you again. I promise."  
Without waiting for her to reply Jacob turned and walked away. Kitty wanted to cry out to him, but couldn't find the words.  
"Who was that?" Beth asked as she stepped up behind Kitty.  
"That. uh. that was him. That was the guy."  
"That was Jacob? I thought you said-"  
"Yeah, I thought he died in that bar fight too."  
"I thought you said he got shot when you were getting mugged."  
Kitty wiped back her tears. She had barely heard what Beth had said. "Hey, Beth, I'm not feeling so hot. You mind covering for me? I'm gonna take the rest of the day off."  
"Yeah, sure hun. You want me to call you a cab or something?"  
"No. I need some time to think. But thanks."  
  
Kitty did not go home. She didn't want her mother to call and find out that she had skipped work. She knew that there would be a lecture if she found out. It seemed that was pretty much all that Kitty's mother said to her nowadays. Just lectures, and all Kitty could do was let her down.  
Now she sat in the food court of the nearby mall, silently sipping on her soda. Her thoughts wandered to that day back at Genosha. She remembered Jacob phasing through her, as she had phased through so many things in her life. There had been so many nights between then and now that she had pictured him falling through the air. The look of happiness that he had as he descended to his doom.  
Why?  
She had heard his reason, but it seemed almost as if he were lying to her. She thought it almost as if he had practiced that response. The response sounded as if it had been programmed into his head for some reason yet unknown to her.  
And what of her feelings for him?  
Kitty had always considered that her feelings for him might have been an emotion he had put into her head when Xavier was around. She wasn't sure if it was just a crush or if she actually felt something for him.  
Damn it; just forget him, she thought to herself bitterly. Honestly you sound like a pathetic high school freshman with a crush on a senior. God! He made you think he was dead, that's as good as breaking up with you, Kitty!  
She played the scene again in her mind. She felt the warm of his kiss. His hands phased through hers. He started falling towards the pool below. She saw Nightcrawler composing in front of her. He grabbed her from behind. She was startled and looked back to see his blue face. She turned around as they started to teleport. Another bright light was below her, just like Nightcrawler always made when he teleported. And she was inside of the Blackbird.  
Jacob had stolen Nightcrawler's powers when he grabbed her. She was sure of it. He had teleported himself to safety while she was being brought back to the jet.  
  
Dana Colby sat inside the food court fare enough away from Kitty Pryde so that the girl could not see her but she could see the girl. Kitty had known her as Soul Breaker, but she had known her as her enemy too. Dana knew her part to play in young Miss Pryde's life was not over, although Miss Pryde did not know that yet.  
For a moment she looked down at the picture she had of her son. He was only three then. Now he was eight, and she hadn't seen him since the day that picture was taken. She hated herself for what she had become, but knew she had no choice. Her son's life depended on it.  
Dana put the picture in her breast pocket and removed her cell phone from her coat. She dialed the number she had been given and put the phone to her ear.  
"Speak," a soft southern accented man started. He answered after the first ring.  
"I've spotted her. She's in the food court of a local mall right now. Alone. If you wanted I could capture her now."  
"No. You couldn't. Not unless Reaper was there to disable her powers. Aside from that, I want to be sure that Reaper's still with us."  
"Excuse me? Sir, you doubt him? I mean; he's your son!"  
"My adopted son. My own boy betrayed me, Soul Breaker. I have no reason to think that Reaper won't do the same. Call me when you've apprehended the mutant. I have other things to attend to."  
Stryker hung up his side of the phone. Dana wasn't sure what he had planned, but she knew that it would inevitably lead to her death. That didn't matter. Not so long as her son was alive.  
  
Jacob looked down at his sixth cup of coffee and sighed. He knew that the waitress wanted him to order more than just coffee so she could get a bigger tip. It didn't really matter to him though. His main concentration was on the clock.  
It was eleven fourteen in the evening, and he sat patiently inside of Turning Creek Restaurant. Please don't show up, Jacob thought to himself. Jacob had spent his time thinking of some possible way to divert Stryker's attention towards Kitty. Thus far he had been unable to.  
Eleven fifteen.  
Jacob decided to leave in five minutes. At least that way Stryker wouldn't accuse him of not trying. He looked up for his waitress. It was time to ask for the bill.  
He paid, finished his coffee, and was ready to leave when Kitty entered the restaurant. She didn't approach him, but waited for him by the open door. He walked to her.  
"Hey," he started.  
"Hey. I. I wasn't here to see you. I told some friends that I'd meet them here for a late night coffee. I'm kinda late, if you'll excuse me."  
He nodded and moved to the side.  
Kitty started to walk forward, then stopped and turned to him. "You're an asshole, you know that?"  
"I know that."  
"I don't forgive you! I don't forgive you for making me think you died for me all this time."  
"I didn't expect you to."  
"I don't want you in my life!"  
"I understand."  
She stopped for a moment. Jacob wasn't sure if he should leave now or not. He knew she wasn't there to meet up with her friends, but he just couldn't understand what exactly she was thinking.  
"Don't you dare do that to me again," Kitty ordered. "Not ever."  
Jacob nodded.  
"Promise?"  
He nodded again.  
Jacob felt sick to his stomach. He couldn't believe what he had just done. And he still wasn't sure what she was saying. He hoped she would go inside and order something. Give him time to get away from her. To save her. But she didn't move. He finally extended his hand for hers, and she took it.  
The two started to walk down the street when Jacob saw the first squad. Three people; all dressed in black. Behind he knew there was a second squad, also made up of three people dressed in black.  
"Kitty," he started.  
He could hear the car horns blare in the darkness as yet a third group crossed the street. This group was made up of five. The leader being Soul Breaker.  
"What is it Jacob?"  
"Run!"  
He pulled her into the street and activated their phasing ability. They ran literally through Soul Breaker and her colleagues, through cars and even a bus, and finally ended up on the other side of the street.  
"Who were they?" Kitty asked.  
"Apocalypse's men, run!" Jacob lied.  
Soul Breaker appeared on the sidewalk in front of them. Two of her men stood next to her. They were still dazed from the teleportation. She reached into her coat pocket and removed a Desert Eagle. Three bullet's whizzed through Jacob's phased body.  
"Run Kitty!" Jacob screamed.  
She didn't understand, but she did as she was told.  
The second of Soul Breaker's men was ready to fight. The man pulled his gun out and Jacob knocked it to the side. The gunman pulled the trigger, and two bullets's entered his comrade's leg. Jacob then punched him in the face. He balled up his fist and punched at Soul Breaker, but as he did she teleported in back of him.  
He could sense that she was preparing to teleport again. This time closer to Kitty. And Jacob used his own mutation to stop her. Soul Breaker had no choice but to run on foot.  
Kitty was a good twenty feet ahead of them both, phasing through confused pedestrians as she ran. Jacob teleported to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. He didn't wait for her to turn around before teleporting again. It was only a few blocks from where they had been, but it was enough so that Soul Breaker wouldn't have a clue as to where they were.  
"What was that? Who were they?" Kitty asked.  
"Mutants," Jacob lied. "They worked for Apocalypse, and now they're a little bit upset because of what I did to their leader."  
"But-"  
"But nothing. Here." He gave her some cash. "Catch a cab, go home. They don't know who you are or where you live. I'll be in contact in a couple of days. I'll find you at your work, okay?"  
"Jacob, please don't do this to me again!"  
"Hey, remember my promise?" he asked. "I never break them."  
Before she could argue he started to walk away from her. He knew that Stryker would be very displeased about the events that occurred this evening, but he also knew without Jacob's help it would be almost impossible to capture Kitty Pryde.  
  
The door to Jacob's apartment buckled inwards as a battering ram smashed into it. He barely moved as the group of five former soldiers rushed inside. They all held their guns to his head, ready to pull the trigger if something unexpected happened.  
"What time is it?" Jacob asked.  
"It's early enough. Stryker wants a word with you, now!" one of the soldiers ordered.  
"Alright, alright. Back off enough to let me get my pants on."  
He got up and dressed. The soldier's did not allow him any more time to get groomed or even get his wallet. Instead they escorted him down the stairs and into a black Cadillac. Jacob watched as he was driven to the airport and escorted onto a private plane. Once the plain was in the air the door to the pilot's cabin opened, and out of it came the Southern man he had come to know like a father. Stryker.  
"Just what in the hell did you think you were doing last night? Remember the agreement? I think of the plan. I instruct you on how the plan is played out. You follow the plan! Is that too hard to remember?"  
"Good morning to you too."  
Stryker pulled out his pistol and aimed it at Jacob's head. "Don't get smart with me you little shit! What happened?"  
Jacob turned to his father, his eyes on either side of the gun's barrel.  
"What's the matter, Jacob? Trying to see if there are any mutants within a half a mile? I don't think so."  
"After we separated I thought to myself how odd it would be for Miss Pryde to find herself void of her powers when she tried to escape from Soul Breaker and our other friends. At first she wouldn't understand, but then, as time went on the simple truth would be revealed. Despite my best act, she would know that I had made her unable to use them. And, although the provability is slim, she might escape. When and if she did, my cover would be blown. And, as you have such great plans for me to be your spy that would not be acceptable. Not to me, and I don't believe to you."  
"So what do you plan to do then?"  
"I have a plan," Jacob announced.  
His foster father put down the gun, and Jacob revealed his plan.  
  
That afternoon Jacob had called Kitty. He informed her that the mercenaries were no longer after him, and that it was safe for him to see her once again. She felt her heart jump a beat at the idea. He had also asked her to diner that evening, and before Kitty even thought of other obligations she agreed.  
Now she was ready to leave. She rushed down the stairs, not attempting to hide her pleasurable smile that stretched from ear to ear. The door to her house opened and slammed shut. She heard her mother's voice cursing as she put down her things from the office.  
"Hey Mom," Kitty said as she walked into the kitchen. Kitty decided she could be pleasant for a few seconds.  
"Hey honey," Terri Pryde replied. She paused a second, then looked at her daughter. "You look dressed up tonight, what's the occasion?"  
"I got a date." Kitty felt her face flush as if it were her first date ever. God, I should be a blond.  
"With who?"  
Kitty could detect the suspicion in her mother's voice. For a moment she thought about being sarcastic and saying the date was with a girl from work. Kitty quickly pushed the idea aside. That might be too much for her mother.  
"A guy I met at school. He's-"  
"Excuse me? A guy you met at school? I thought you said you weren't going to talk to them."  
"He wasn't a student mom. He was just-"  
"How old is he?"  
"I don't know. Eighteen, nineteen, maybe twenty."  
"And he followed you from school?"  
"Mom, it's not like that."  
"Does he know where you live?"  
"Yeah. But-"  
"I don't think you should go out with this guy."  
"Mom, you haven't even met him."  
"I've met guys like him. Last thing you need at your age is for some psycho stalking you from New York to Illinois. And worse yet, a mutant stalker."  
"Excuse me?"  
Terri paused. Kitty had caught her say it again. Terri had said the "m" word in that tone again. It was the same tone she said mutant when talking about the Xavier school. It had been the same tone that had finally driven Kitty's father get a divorce.  
"Honey, I didn't mean it like that. There are just a lot of dangerous mutants out there and-"  
"And they can't be trusted?"  
"I didn't say that all mutants couldn't be trusted. I'm just saying- "  
"Most can't be?"  
"Kitty."  
"No, Mom. I think I understand."  
Kitty turned to go out. She felt her mother's hands grasp her arm. "Kitty wait!"  
"Let me go!"  
"Kitty, just listen to what I have to say!"  
"I said let me go!"  
As she spoke Kitty phased through her mothers hand. She continued through the living room wall and out the front door. She knew her mother hated that but it was the easiest way to walk out on an argument before it got too bad.  
  
Jacob was already inside of the restaurant when Kitty arrived. He could see that she had been crying, and as she approached the seat opposite him Jacob stood. "Are you alright?" he asked.  
"Yeah, just your typical mother-daughter fight." Kitty sat. "You already order something to drink?"  
"No, I was waiting for you."  
The waiter came over and the two of them ordered cokes. Kitty's was diet.  
"You sure you're okay?" Jacob asked.  
"Yeah, it's just my mom. She thinks we're. well, you know."  
"That we're all criminals?"  
"Everyone of us except me, apparently. And sometimes I'm not even sure about that."  
Jacob smiled. Their drinks came. Kitty started to drink hers before she spoke again.  
"So, you wanted diner, got any other plans for tonight?"  
Jacob took a sip of his coke. "No. I was thinking of maybe catching a movie. Any particular you want to see?"  
"I was thinking that new one with Ben Stiller looked good. What was it called. uh."  
Jacob's head started to spin. He suddenly felt very faint.  
Kitty took another sip of her coke. Her eyes fluttered up and down.  
She's being drugged! No, we're being drugged!  
"Kitty," he rasped. His throat felt as if it were closing. His eyes were becoming very heavy.  
Jacob watched as Kitty's head hit the table. A second later he saw Soul Breaker appear behind his date, grab her then disappear. Jacob could stay awake any longer.  
  
Jacob woke the next morning face to face with his foster father. To his surprise, Stryker had a warm smile on his face. It had been a long time since Jacob had seen that expression. For a moment he thought that the last years of his life had been a dream. The X-Men, Kitty, Apocalypse, all of it. Then he remembered the events that had transpired the previous evening. He felt the head ache and knew it was all true.  
"You bastard!" Jacob screamed as he lurched forward. His right hand wrapped around the handle of Stryker's gun and he removed it from the holster. Both Jacob's hands grasped the handle tightly as he took aim at Stryker's forehead.  
"Do you really intend on using that?"  
"Where is she?" Jacob cocked the gun, pulling the hammer back with his right thumb. "Where?"  
"She's safe. She's fine. She's at out base."  
"I told you, my way! You weren't-"  
"I know, Jacob. And I'm sorry. But the Phoenix has been spotted earlier than we thought she would be. I need you at the school. And I need you there now."  
"And Kitty?"  
"You really have feelings for her, don't you?"  
Jacob hesitated. He hated to admit it to his foster father. The admittance of being infatuated with a mutant could bring severe consequences. "I'm sorry." He released the hammer of the gun. "I just wanted to prove myself to you."  
"Then go to the Xavier School."  
Jacob nodded. He stood up and went to his dresser."  
"Reaper, the gun," Stryker said, extending his hand palm up.  
Jacob put the gun in his foster father's hand. He was going in unarmed. 


	4. Chapters six through epilogue

Chapter Six  
Scott Summers stood at the edge of Alkali Lake; the all terrain vehicle he drove in was not fare behind. It seemed strange to see the lake in its liquid form, especially against the cold weather that surrounded the mutant. The only vegetation that he could see was evergreens and a few mushrooms that grew on the dead wood. The road was scattered with thousands, perhaps millions, of old pine needles, dead from countless days of cold and frost.  
He could feel tears building in the corner of his eyes, even now after two years. It seemed like longer. It felt like more time had passed between the death of Jean and the present, but the facts were the same. It had only been two years.  
Jean's body had never been recovered from the bottom of the lake. Scott knew that there were several rivers that flowed from the body of the lake, and when the damn broke he was certain that it was very possible she was washed into the ocean. Scott knew she must be dead, but every day he hoped that she would appear, that she would be resurrected.  
Scott turned around. Despite the fact that it was July the cold weather still bit at his flesh. He knew that Jean would not simply appear because he wished her to, and because he had frozen himself half to death.  
In the distance he could see a cloud of smoke building in the woods. A forest fire perhaps. Scott knew that it would be better if he left. If the fire was put out quickly and anyone found out he was a mutant there would be trouble.  
Well, let trouble come, Scott thought to himself.  
He started walking up the slope dividing himself and the smoke. There was a good chance that he may die by the flames, but there was also a chance that he might be able to help. And Scott was always willing to lend a hand.  
As he reached the peak of the small hill he saw that the flames only crawled on several pines. The cinders seemed to be putting themselves out. And, in the center of the pines, stood a single woman with wild red hair.  
  
He made his way down the pass, keeping his hand at the rim of his sunglasses at all times. He didn't want there to be any chance that falling branches would hit the woman.  
"Hello!" he called as he got closer.  
She didn't appear to hear him. Her gazed continued to constantly stare in the hills and mountains.  
"Miss! Hello!"  
He got to her and placed one hand on her shoulder.  
"Miss?"  
She still did not seem to respond. Scott started to move around her, so that he might see her face, and as he did she collapsed. As she lay there, not moving, unconscious, he knew that it was her. He knew that it was Jean.  
  
Charles Xavier was in his study when the phone rang. He set the envelope and envelope opener down on the table. Upon the second ring he answered the phone. "Xavier School For the Gifted," he said into the receiver.  
"Hello, Charles," a man with a southern accent said into the receiver. Xavier didn't need to read his mind to know the voice.  
Stryker.  
  
Alexander Parker drove the first of two vans onto the Xavier School. He had made sure that everyone was wearing their helmets. He found his to be too small, but knew remembered Stryker's warning.  
  
"What are you doing William?" Xavier asked.  
"What's the matter, Charles? Feeling lost, confused, and just like you did in Alkali? I must admit, I did find it rather amusing watching my Son change your perspective on the world."  
"Whatever it is you have against me it's personal, keep it that way."  
"Charles, is that a threat? Believe me, you'll never be able to keep it. I've made arrangements. After all, you killed me, publicly at least. I'm just here to return the favor. But first, I'd like to tell you my plan, because I know there's nothing you can do to stop me..."  
  
Parker walked through the school as silently as he could. Six of Stryker's better warriors followed close behind. All of them were equipped with silencers mounted on automatic rifles; and, in case of emergencies, a Beretta, also with a silencer.  
He turned a corner and saw one of Xavier's students. He had his instructions. No mercy. Parker held his automatic rifle to his shoulder and took aim, the entire process taking little less than a second. He squeezed the trigger.  
  
"That's right, Charles. She's alive. And soon, so very soon you will not be."  
  
Hank McCoy saw the child being shot in front of him. His eyes were wide with fright, then anger. He saw two men; dressed in black from head to foot, step towards the child. One fired three more shots into the child's back.  
Beast growled as loud as he could and started to charge them. They raised their weapons and started to fire, but as they did Beast dug his claws into the walls and continued to rush towards them.  
The first man and grabbed him by the chest. A quick punch later and the man's neck arched backwards. Beast turned to the other, who did not fire for fear of hitting his dead comrade. Beast placed one of his massive hands on the assassin's shoulder and the other at his groin then lifted him into the air and proceeded to bend him backwards. Beast could feel the man's bones crush under his strength.  
He felt two bullets hit him in the chest. On instinct Beast threw the dead man's body towards the other soldier's who shot at him. Two more came into the hall with him, their bullets flew through the air towards him, tearing through his blue fur covered flesh.  
  
"Charles? Are you still there? Or are you actually trying to escape me?" Stryker asked.  
Charles's office was empty.  
  
Charles Xavier had already telepathically informed the few students in the institute what was happening and to leave as quickly as possible. He was wheeling himself through the halls when he sensed that a second of his students had been shot.  
  
Parker finished killing his first mutant and paused to reload. He looked down the hall and saw that his men had mortally injured the mutant he knew as Beast. One of them stepped forward and pulled out his Beretta, placing the silencer on Beast's temple. "Say good-night, mutie," the gunman smiled.  
A single bullet later and the body of the blue giant fell to the ground. Parker walked towards them. He looked own to the bodies of his fallen soldier's. "Come on, we have to find Xavier."  
They nodded with their black helmet's bobbing up and down. Parker led them down the hall.  
  
Xavier turned a corner and saw the five assassins'. The rest of the students were gone, thankfully. Whatever they planned to do to him they would do, but the students at least would be saved.  
The soldiers rushed forward and pull him out of his chair.  
"Let's get this pig," one of them shouted.  
Xavier could feel multiple kicks landing on his gut and in his face. He pulled the letter opener out and rammed it into the ankle of the soldier nearest him. The soldier screamed in pain and backed up.  
The other's, stunned by the sudden move of aggression from the cripple, stepped back. Xavier felt several bullets' hit him in the chest. He groaned.  
"Finish him," the leader ordered. "We'll meet you at the vans."  
Xavier watched as they started to leave. He could feel blood forming at the edge of his lips. The only soldier that remained turned him on his back. He watched as the soldier removed the safety from his pistol and carefully aimed at his head.  
A terrible growling erupted from the halls. Xavier turned his head and watched as Wolverine rushed forward, both sets of claws extended. He hit the soldier with all six of the adamantium knives, pushing him back into the wall. Wolverine removed his right set of claws just long enough to ram them into the side of the soldier's head.  
  
Wolverine ran down the halls of the school. He could smell that the other assassin's were outside of the building. Without pausing Wolverine jumped out through the front window. There was only one soldier outside of the two vans' that were parked in the driveway.  
He stood slowly; allowing them to know it was their turn to die.  
The soldier on the driveway, whose leg was bleeding, started to run as fast as he could. The van with only one man inside started up and drove away.  
"Parker you coward!" the gimp shouted.  
Wolverine ran past him, barely taking enough time to ram his claws into the back of the man's neck. He ran in front of the second van as it started up. Wolverine stuck his claws into the front grill, riding alone the van as it sped through the driveway.  
"Get him off!" the passenger screamed from inside. The passenger pulled up his assault rifle and started to fire.  
Wolverine ignored the pain that came from the bullet's bouncing off his metallic bones. He crashed his left hand through the windshield and pushed the rifle so it aimed at the driver's neck. The passenger did not stop firing, and the driver's neck exploded.  
Wolverine then grabbed the passenger by the neck and pulled him out of the van, letting him fall under the wheels a split second before jumping off of the front of the van himself. He stood up, watching the van crash into a tree only a few feet from the gates of the school.  
He walked towards the passenger. Somehow, the man was still alive. The soldier pulled out his Beretta and took off the safety. Although his eyes were hidden behind the black faceguard Wolverine could see that he was terrified.  
"Do it," Wolverine uttered.  
The man took aim, and before he could fire a single shot Wolverine swung his claws. The Beretta fell in pieces. Wolverine heard the man pleading for his life, although he did not take the time to listen to the pleas. He grabbed the soldier by the side of the helmet and continued to bash his head against the pavement. In two hits the plastic helmet broke. Wolverine threw it aside. On the third hit the man's skull cracked. Wolverine stood up.  
It was time to back and help Charles.  
* * *  
Aaron Tomas walked through the double swinging doors of the emergency room. He continued to walk down the halls, ignoring the doctors and nurses that passed him on either side. Since he started working for William Stryker Aaron had seen many tragedies, but he always was able to look past them. Especially when he was on the job, like now.  
"Doctor Freemen?" he asked a young man in a doctor's coat who wore glasses.  
"Yes. Are you... of course you are... I mean... I'm sorry. He's this way."  
The doctor turned away and started walking.  
"I know what Mister Stryker wanted. Strong men who had grudges against mutants. Well, this guy's strong. At least he was. He was the head of a local biker gang. Everyone of them got burnt up, he was the only survivor."  
Freemen opened the door to one of the rooms and escorted Aaron inside. There was a man in there. He was contained in an oxygen tent. Metal spikes had been burnt into bottom of his face. His right leg was burnt. He was still using a respirator to breath.  
"This is the guy?"  
Aaron turned to the young doctor and watched as his head shook up and down. Before the doctor could speak Aaron pulled out his gun and aimed it at the doctor's head. "You're wasting my time! And I don't pay you to waste my time, do you hear me!"  
"You asked for guys who hated mutants! He's him. You didn't say that they had to be in perfect condition!"  
"They don't, but I'd like it if they weren't in a coma!" Aaron cocked the hammer.  
"Please! He'll be great!"  
"Why? Speak!"  
"He was mumbling something when he came in. He just kept on saying 'Logan' over and over again!"  
"Our Logan?"  
"Yes!"  
Aaron uncocked the gun.  
"Get him ready. You have fifteen minutes. Do not disappoint me again."  
  
Rogue woke dressed only in her bra, underwear, and a cold metallic collar round her neck. The room she had been stored in was warm. She could see that there was a security camera that followed her movement. It had but a single door, a bed, a toilette, and nothing else.  
She wanted to fly up and disable the camera but as she tried Rogue found herself unable to. She punched her first into the wall and found that her strength too had been taken away.  
"Great," she said to herself. "I'm alone and in my underwear. Remy's gonna have a heart attack when I tell him about this."  
She chuckled at her own joke. Finally Rogue went to the door and tried it. Never hurt to try after all.  
To her surprise the door was open. Not that it mattered. She could not see anything outside but snow and ice. No vehicles, no big base. Just the cold.  
Bastards, she thought, closing the door.  
She walked to the other side of the room where the heater was. She thought back. The girl remembered the Sentinel. Rogue remembered fighting it. And then, somehow she had lost. And the next thing she knew she was here. On the bed.  
The door opened and Rogue saw a woman enter her room. The woman held a single tray with a sheet of plastic wrap over it.  
"What's going on here? Where am I? Who are you?" Rogue demanded.  
The woman did not reply. She removed the plastic wrap and put the small piece in her pocket, then turned to leave. Rogue stood up and grabbed her by the shoulder.  
"Hey! I asked y-"  
Before Rogue could finish her sentence the woman had pulled out a stun gun. The mutant felt three pins' puncture her skin and an electrical pulse that followed. She screamed, falling to the ground. When the strange woman was satisfied that Rogue would not try to fight her again she cut off the power from the stun gun and returned it to it's holster. She turned once more and left Rogue alone.  
Rogue was still on the floor, using both her hands and knees to keep herself up. She looked over to the tray and saw that there had been a meal prepared for her. She had been given no silverware. Not ever plastic silverware. She found to her surprise that she was hungry. And although she was a prisoner, she would not allow herself to go hungry. The girl knew that she had to keep up her strength. This time Rogue was determined to escape.  
* * *  
Scott Summers had found a room in a small Canadian town whose name he could not pronounce. After paying he drove to the door and pulled Jean out of the car. She had been sleeping the entire time.  
Now he stood in the hotel room. Jean's limp body was sprawled on the bed. The telephone receiver rattled in his hands as he dialed the number for the Xavier institute. He didn't know what to say. He didn't even know where to begin. Scott was beginning to think that Xavier would have to use Cerebro to understand what the leader of the X-Men was saying.  
But no one answered the phone. He did not get the machine, as normal. Just a continuing ringing. Scott hung up and dialed again.  
His hidden eyes gazed over at Jean. Her eyes were still shut tightly, although now she was turning in her sleep. Scott silently cursed himself for not learning medicine as she had.  
After the eighth ring Scott hung up. He slowly walked over to Jean and wrapped her hand with both of his. "Hold on, Jean," he whispered. "I'll get help."  
Scott's eyes closed, and as he did he saw a vision.  
Jean was sitting, captured by chains of flame. She screamed, struggling to escape. The only land that she sat on was surrounded by molten lava. In front of her sat a cloaked figure whose arms were outstretched. The hooded figure held her hands in the air, laughing.  
Before he could think Scott raised his hand to his sunglasses and removed them, sending out an optic blast which hit the cloaked figure in the chest. He ran forward, determined to protect Jean. As he lifted the hooded figure up his eyes met hers. The hooded figure was Jean too.  
He let go of Jeans hand and opened his eyes. Scott stood up, afraid at first. But then he realized what had just happened, although he did not fully understand. Somehow, Jean was communicating with him telepathically. Although he did not yet understand what she was saying.  
As he thought her eyes opened. She started up, hovering above the bed.  
"Jean," Scott uttered, not fully realizing what he was saying.  
"I am Phoenix!" Jean screamed.  
Scott tried to speak, but could not find his words. Jean turned her head towards him and glared with her pupiless eyes.  
"Jean is no more!"  
As she spoke flames stretched from her body, engulfing the room and yet not scorching so much as an inch. Scott backed away from her, uncertain what to do. Jean floated towards him, and as she did he noticed that the flames had taken shape. And the flames had become like the wings of a bird. She reached one hand forward, grasping him by the throat and pinning him against the wall.  
"Bow before me!" she ordered.  
"J-Jean..."  
"Phoenix!" Jean screamed, her voice little less than a thunderous boom.  
"I'm sorry..."  
He lifted his glasses and fired an optic blast at her. As soon as the laser blast hit her chest the flames receded and Jean flew to the opposite side of the room.  
Jean lifted her head weakly. She held out her hand for him. "Scott, help me," she whispered.  
Scott ran to her side and wrapped his arms around her. "Don't worry, Jean. I'm here, I'll always be here."  
  
Magneto sat at the table where the thirteen leaders of Genosha sat. Some he knew well, like Mystique, and others he did not know well, like the mutant he had come to know as Havoc. Now the meeting was coming to a close, and the mutant politicians were gathering their things. The eldest of the mutants looked to the door and saw that Sabertooth was waiting for him.  
"Sir, I have a situation which requires you attention," Sabertooth announced.  
Magneto nodded and followed as the younger of the mutants escorted him down the hall.  
"There was a mutant who served under Apocalypse who has returned. And she had a mutant with her who she believes will be an adequate substitution for Wolverine."  
"And why do you need my assistance?" Magneto asked.  
"Because of the status that the mutant is in."  
Magneto walked through a set of swinging double doors. Inside he saw two guards who he knew Sabertooth had recruited as a police force, a female doctor, a woman who he did not recognize, and another woman who was laying on an examination table.  
"She's alive," the doctor, a mutant named Empathy, announced.  
Magneto walked closer to the table and saw why they needed him. He did not need to see the problem, though. Magneto could feel it. This Asian woman had metal in her veins. Lots of it. And not just metal. Adamantium.  
The magnetic mutant could sense it all throughout her body. Like Wolverine and Sabertooth this mutant's skeleton had been substituted with the precious metal. He could tell that she had claws that remained hidden underneath the skin of her fingers. In truth, he remembered her. She had been Stryker's assistant, under mind control, or so he assumed. A mutant hater like Stryker would never allow one of Magneto's brothers or sisters to work for him willingly. Stryker had called her Yuriko Oyama, but a mutant like her deserved a more powerful name. She would have to decide upon one at a later time.  
"Can she be saved?" Magneto asked.  
"Yes. Even now her body is trying to heal itself. With my help, she may survive," Empathy replied.  
Magneto nodded. He knew that Empathy was one of the stronger mutants he had encountered. Empathy possessed the ability to heal others as Sabertooth and Wolverine healed themselves. Unfortunately, Empathy could only use her mutant ability on one person a week, and even that would drain a large amount of her life force.  
"Will you do this, sir?" the woman said.  
Magneto did not reply. He closed his eyes, picturing only the metal inside of Yuriko. He could feel the metal coming out of her eyes and nose recede inside of her body. Every vein that had been blocked by the metal moved steadily upwards, and finally the excess metal spewed from her mouth. He moved it across the room to a plastic bucket that had been placed there before he entered.  
Even before Magneto had opened his eyes Empathy was already using his mutant ability to heal Yuriko. It took only a few seconds, but the young doctor fell, and she was caught by one of the police behind her.  
Yuriko struggled to sit up, but Magneto held her in place, making sure that she did not act violently before fully comprehending where she was. "Miss Oyama, do you know what happened to you?" he asked.  
She gasped; her eyes searched the room wildly.  
"Air..." she said, amazed by the sound of her own voice.  
Magneto walked closer to her. "Miss Oyama, we are not going to hurt you. Please, be patient."  
He released her from his magnetic grasp as the double doors opened behind him. A mutant named Caliban moved into the room.  
"My apologies, Magneto, but I have yet another problem that begs your attention."  
  
Several hours after Magneto had extracted the adamantium from Yuriko Remy pulled into the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, barely pausing long enough to put the stolen truck in park before he got out. His eyes darted over the ground, moving from body to body. The entire area looked like a war zone.  
"My god, Julien, what have you done?" Remy uttered.  
He ran inside the doors of the school and saw that more blood had been shed. As the thief ran through the halls he searched desperately for someone who was alive. Anyone. He ran to the lower levels of the school, where the X-Men trained.  
Upon reaching the medical examination room he found Charles Xavier. Xavier lay on an examination table, his shirt torn open. Someone had attempted to revive him, but failed. The professor was dead.  
"No," Remy uttered. "Chares."  
Remy heard the metallic snik of Wolverine's claws extending a split second before jumping out of the way. The thief landed on his butt, facing the shorter mutant, and held out his hand.  
"Wolverine, wait, it's me!"  
"Sorry," Logan replied in a synthetic tone. He retracted his claws.  
"What happened?" Remy asked as he got to his feet again.  
"I don't know," Logan replied. "I came back and the school was under attack. I wasn't able to save Charles."  
"Who did it?"  
  
"I don't know, but they were wearing these." Logan picked up a black plastic helmet from the counter near him and handed it to Remy.  
"What's this?" Remy asked.  
"It's a helmet like Magneto wears."  
"What's a Magneto?"  
"He was Charles's best friend and worst enemy. He wore that type of helmet to make sure Charles could not read his mind."  
Logan walked out of the infirmary and into the halls once again. From his stride Remy could tell that Logan had a plan. It may not have been a well-conceived plan, but it was a plan.  
"What are you doing?" Remy asked, running into the hall.  
"I'm going to ask Magneto about our little mishap. I think he's got answers. Take Rogue; clean this place up. Call the cops, and then get the hell out of here. With that entire incident in Atlanta this place is going to become a whole lot less popular if you know what I mean."  
"Rogue's been captured."  
Logan paused and turned, pinning Remy against the wall. Remy knew that Logan thought of Rogue like a daughter.  
"She's been captured. I don't know by who."  
Logan growled loudly, but was cut off. The two of them heard a blaring that neither of them had hear before. They rushed up the stairs and to the front door, and were greeted by a dozen cars pulling up to the school. And worse, they were armed.  
"Can't we use the jet to escape?" Remy asked.  
"Impossible, by the time we get it started and ready to fly they'd have found us. And aside from that, I can't fly it. Can you?"  
The driver's and passengers of the cars were getting out now. Most of them were armed with double barrel shotguns or small handguns that could be bought at any sporting goods store. A few were armed with automatic rifles. Their message was clear.  
"Kill the mutants, revenge for Atlanta."  
"Got any good ideas?" Remy asked.  
"No, Gumbo. Do you?"  
Remy shook his head. "No."  
Chapter Seven  
Nicolas Moore had been born in Atlanta, Georgia. He had spent the majority of his boyhood there, and had moved away only a few months ago. When he had heard that the entire city lay in ruins he had been furious. But when he heard that mutants were the cause he was quick to grab his hunting rifle and gather his friends.  
Nicolas had heard of the Xavier School years ago, and never did trust them. Now it was payback time. The mutants had gone too fare this time.  
"Find the mutants and kill them!" Reggie screamed, firing a shot into the air.  
"Shut up and just get them," Nicolas grumbled.  
The mob continued up the stairs, ignoring the bodies that lay on the ground. Nicolas was beginning to think that someone had beaten them to the attack. He was sure that there would be some mutants left for the mob to kill. If the government wasn't going to do anything about it, he was.  
"There!" someone shouted.  
Nicolas could hear several shots ring out before he saw the mutant. The man was tall, and was it not for his red glowing eyes Nicolas would have thought him to be a regular human.  
He pulled his gun to his shoulder. He had the mutant at point blank. Nicolas squeezed the trigger. He felt the gun jump to life as the bullet erupted from the barrel, piercing the air. Nicolas looked at the mutant, anticipating the explosion of flesh and the release of blood.  
The mutant flinched, but he did not bleed. To the surprise of Nicolas and the mutant the bullet hovered in the air. Nicolas's gun suddenly jumped out of his hands, almost as if it were pulled out. Throughout the mansion he could hear similar cries of surprise and fright.  
The gun hovered in the air for a few seconds, then cocked and turned towards Nicolas. "Damn mutants," Nicolas cursed.  
He turned to run. They would pay for this, but later.  
  
Remy watched as the guns that had been brought by the men gathered into one ball and crush together. Somewhere along the running he had lost Logan. He thought that the other mutant might be fighting, but couldn't be sure. Remy however, did not want to fight.  
He stood, looking around in confusion. Finally Remy walked to the front doors. He saw that the majority of the cars had been crushed; the others had fled. The battle had not lasted long between men and mutants.  
Several more beings stood in the driveway. Some were unmistakably mutants, and Remy could only guess that all of them were. In the center stood an elderly man with a helmet like Logan had shown him who wore a cape. Remy could only guess that this was Magneto.  
  
Jubilee could feel a lump in her throat as she entered the infirmary. Many of the mutants had already been in to pay their respects, but she had been the last. Charles Xavier looked at piece for once. He still had the same broad smile he wore around the school on his face. His eyes remained closed. Whoever had taken care of the body before she had seen it had done a wonderful job of making him look as he did in life.  
She turned to Lance, placing her face in the safety of his chest. Lance reached up his hand and gently patted the back of her head. Jubilee wanted to cry, but for some reason she was unable to. Since arriving she had heard what had happened to Rogue, and Kitty. She wished that either of them were around so that she had another girl to talk to.  
No one was exactly sure where Kurt or Ororo were. At least no one who was still alive.  
"Come on," Lance whispered. "We should get out of here."  
Jubilee pushed herself away from him and nodded. She sniffed back the lump in her throat and managed to smile.  
  
"Who else knew about these?" Logan demanded, tossing the plastic helmet across the room as hard as he could at the elderly mutant.  
"No one," Magneto replied, putting the plastic down on the table. "Only I knew about the make up of these helmets. I haven't even told Mystique."  
The blue mutant nodded in agreement.  
"Someone knew, Magneto. And it wasn't by coincidence that they were wearing them to hunt Xavier. They knew this place inside and out. They knew our mutant abilities; our weaknesses and exactly how many mutants would be here. They just didn't intend for me to return."  
"What do you want me to tell you, Wolverine? Do you think that I was responsible for this?"  
"That seems believable to me."  
"Then why do you think that these helmets would be made out of plastic and not metal? Hmmm?" Magneto paused for a moment, allowing Logan to think of a suitable response. "They were made out of plastic incase I was here. Whoever made these knew that I was Xavier's friend, and he also knew my weakness."  
"Sounds like more of that elitists crap to me," Logan growled.  
"You can believe me or you cannot, Wolverine. I have come to burry my friend." Magneto turned around and started for the door, then paused and added, "I did not send anyone to kill him either."  
  
Scott knew that something was wrong when he put his car into park. He barely had gotten Jean upstairs to their old room when he saw Magneto walking down the halls of the school.  
"What are you doing here?" Scott demanded as he rushed out of his room.  
"Haven't you heard?" Magneto asked, turning slowly. Mystique stood by his side.  
"Heard what?" Scott drew his hand to the side of his visor, just in case things became dangerous.  
"Xavier is dead. We're having his funeral tomorrow." Magneto looked past him to the bed where Jean lay asleep. "Hmm," he added, almost on a side note. "So she is alive."  
With that the older mutant turned around and started to walk away.  
* * *  
Parker walked into the base the day after his team had killed Xavier, shaking from the cold. He dusted the snow off of his shoulders and looked up. Aaron was already approaching him. "Where are the others?" Aaron asked.  
"They're dead," Parker sneered. He hated being second-guessed like Aaron always did.  
"He wants to see you," Aaron announced. "I'll lead you to him."  
The two walked down the halls of the base not saying a word. Finally Aaron stopped outside of a door. Parker knew it well. It was Stryker's laboratory. Parker entered without a word and walked towards his leader.  
"Is Xavier dead?" Stryker asked.  
"Yes," Parker replied. "You were right. He didn't suspect we were coming."  
Stryker looked up from the microscope he was examining. "And the others?"  
"We executed several mutants at the school."  
"Any casualties?"  
  
Parker nodded. He feared telling his leader the information, but did so. He knew lying would have worse repercussions than telling the truth.  
"It was the Wolverine. We didn't suspect he would arrive, and thus we did not prepare for him."  
"Just Wolverine?"  
"Yes. He went mad when he saw what was happening."  
Stryker shook his head, seeming to understand what Parker was saying.  
"Come, I want to show you what I'm working on," Stryker said. He pushed himself away from the microscope and waved Parker nearer.  
Parker did as he was commanded. He leaned in to the microscope and looked at the cells under the lenses. "What is it?" Parker asked, not looking up from the cells.  
"That is a liquid for of Rogue's skin. It will change weaponry forever."  
"What does it do?" Parker asked.  
"Glad you asked."  
Parker looked up just in time to see Stryker plunge a syringe deep into Parker's leg. He gasped, taking a step backwards. It was too late the liquid form of Rogue's skin had already entered Parker's system. He could feel every bit of energy being sucked to his leg. Parker gasped, trying desperately to keep enough energy to breath. He felt his veins swell. He pulled his pistol from his holster. It was evident that he would die, but maybe he could take Stryker out with him.  
The revolver slipped out of his hands and fell to the floor. Stryker hadn't even flinched. Parker fell backwards. The entire process had taken only a few seconds to occur, but for him it had seemed like an eternity. Parker died.  
  
Aaron came in to the laboratory and saw Parker's dead body on the floor. He looked up at Stryker, who had made no attempt at hiding how pleased he was with his newest invention. "Is he safe to touch?" Aaron asked.  
Stryker kneeled down and felt for Parker's pulse, barehanded. "Quite. Get someone to clean this up."  
Aaron nodded. He knew better than to keep Stryker waiting.  
* * *  
Scott had been chosen to give Xavier's eulogy. Almost two hundred mutants and humans had arrived. He did not know all of them, but many he had known as students and family of students, both current and past.  
Jean was still unconscious. He wasn't sure if she was even aware of what had happened, although he suspected that she had.  
Scott stepped up to the podium. He cleared his throat, trying to choke back the tears that threatened to erupt at any moment. He looked over the many faces of the men and women who had gathered. Each one of them was silent, except for a few who were not ashamed to cry.  
"There was so much that Charles Xavier has given to this world, to the human and mutant community alike. He believed in the goodness of humanity, as a species."  
  
Pryo was already bored with the speech. He flicked his lighter open and closed repeatedly until Magneto pulled it out of his hands using magnetism. Pryo looked down just in time to see a stern look from his mentor.  
  
"Xavier was like a father to me. Just as he was to a lot of the students who found themselves homes at the School for the Gifted. For those of us afraid of the outside world he gave us a sanctuary. For those on the outside world he gave them hope."  
  
Jean tossed and turned inside her bed. Her muscles twitched. She tried to scream, but was unable to.  
No! she thought; trying to sponge away the visions she was having of the future. She had to fight them.  
  
"More than that. Xavier was like a father to me. I remember the first thing he said to me on the day that we began the X-Men. He said: 'Now, humanity has a chance'.  
"At the time I believed that he meant our species of humans. But I know what now he meant the action of being humane."  
  
Jean's chest lurched forward. She opened her mouth.  
  
"I hope with him the chance does not die. I hope we can keep it alive."  
  
Jean's eyes opened. She screamed as loud as she could, trying to vanquish her inner demon with the scream.  
Scott's words echoed in her mind. She knew it was time to test humanity.  
  
Scott stepped down from the podium and watched as the four coffins were lowered into the ground. He knew that this was not the end. This was merely the beginning.  
Chapter Eight  
Kurt sat just outside the coffee shop that Ororo had entered only a few seconds before. He did not have a clue where to start, or how to begin to fight Chimera, but knew that every second he was outside of the school was another second he was venerable. Chimera was close; he could sense him. Kurt had not yet figured out why his former mentor had not approached him yet.  
The German picked up his coffee and sipped it. It felt somewhat strange to be out in the public, and not have a disguise. He could feel the public's eyes staring at him. They muttered words like 'freak' and 'monster' when they thought that he could not hear them. Some children hid their faces in their parent's chest, while others stared in curiosity. A few dogs had paused even, not quite sure what to make of the blue skinned mutant.  
Ororo had been annoyed at them, as usual. She wanted to say something to the people who would not stop gawking, but Kurt had convinced her to remain silent. She had since gone into the bathroom to try and compose herself.  
Kurt, a voice whispered inside the German's head. He did not need to look up to know who it was. Chimera stood on the other side of the street, staring back. He wore a brood smile on his face.  
Kurt teleported to the other side of the street; just a few feet from his former mentor. A woman who had been traveling on her bicycle stopped, surprised, and almost fell over.  
"Do you honestly wish to engage in a battle now?" Chimera asked. He too seemed to be taken off guard by Kurt's teleportation.  
"No. I don't want to fight you."  
"Then what?"  
"I want you to leave here, and never come back. I'm done fighting you, whoever you are. May He forgive you for your sins."  
Chimera laughed out loud. He arched his head back, making his laughter that much louder. "You wish to become my priest now?" the older mutant finally asked. "There is no God, Kurt. You should know this by now. He abandoned humans long ago. I am a god!"  
"Blasphemy."  
"Look around them. I can make any of them kill themselves at any time. Tell me, is that not the definition of a God?"  
"If you do that you are no god, you're merely a murderer."  
"Really?"  
Chimera looked across the street. Kurt followed his gaze and saw Ororo standing outside of the café. Her eyes were locked on them.  
"She is so pretty," Chimera started.  
As he spoke Ororo picked up a glass from the table nearest to her. She shattered it and held it to her neck.  
"Say I am a god, or I will kill her."  
Kurt looked at the older mutant, but knew that Chimera was not bluffing. He looked across the street, and could see that there was a thin line of blood forming at Ororo's neck where the glass touched her skin.  
"She wants to call out for you, you know," Chimera continued. "I can tell you everything else she thinks about you."  
"Stop it!"  
"Say it!"  
"Stop!"  
"No!"  
"I said 'stop'!" Kurt screamed as he rushed forward. He pushed Chimera into the nearest car, his thick fingers wrapping around his neck. Chimera simply phased through Kurt, standing as he did just a few seconds before. People were staring at the two now. Kurt turned again.  
"This is you last warning. Say that I am a god, or I will kill her."  
Kurt's eyes fell to the ground. He knew there was no other way. "You are a god," he whispered.  
"What? Scream it, Kurt!"  
Kurt's eyes raised and met Chimera's. They were now filled with a hate that he had never known before. "You're a god! God damn you!"  
Chimera smiled. "Good."  
Kurt looked to Ororo, who had already dropped the piece of glass. She looked around, slightly confused on where she was and what was going on. There were a couple of people rushing to her side, making sure that she was okay, and that she was not going to try and kill herself again.  
"I'll see you around, Kurt. Go back to Europe. You know where."  
Kurt sneered. He did not have time to respond before Chimera teleported out of his site.  
  
Remy walked out of the school on the morning following Xavier's funeral and whipped his eyes. "Hey, did all of Magneto's men leave?" he asked Logan, who sat on the front steps smoking a cigar.  
"Not all of them. Jubilee stayed. And so did that new guy with the dog. Lance."  
Remy pulled his pack of cigarettes out of his vest pocket, lit one, and sat down.  
"You know those things will kill you," Logan said.  
"That's gonna kill me too. Might as well enjoy my cigarettes."  
Logan nodded.  
"So who do you think was behind Xavier's assassination?" Remy asked.  
"Your guess is as good as mine. I don't think it was Magneto. The two of them never saw eye to eye, but that bastard doesn't have any motive." Logan paused, clenching his cigar in his teeth. Remy watched as he sniffed the air heavily.  
"What is it?"  
Logan stood up, extending his claws. "Stay behind me," he ordered.  
"No problem."  
They watched as a truck pulled into the driveway and pull to a stop. The door opened and out came a very panicked looking Jacob Morgeheart. "I need to speak to the professor," he started. He walked up to the door, but as he did Logan put his hand on Jacob's chest.  
"You're supposed to be dead."  
"There's no time for this!"  
"Make time!"  
"I got away, alright? When Kurt grabbed Kitty I teleported inside. Please, I need to speak with the professor now!"  
"You can't."  
"He's got Kitty!"  
"Who?"  
"Apocalypse!" Jacob backed up a moment so that they could register what he was saying. "Apocalypse has got Kitty, and Rogue, and Bobby, and he had about a half a dozen other mutants that were on his list."  
"Why?"  
  
"I don't know. I wanted the professor to tell me."  
"Xavier's dead," Remy announced, finally stepping out from behind Logan.  
Now it was Jacob who was caught off guard. He took a step back, breathing in heavily. "Then it's hopeless. They're doomed."  
"Not quite," Logan said. He turned and headed inside of the mansion.  
  
Scott had not slept. Between his grief for Xavier and worrying about Jean he had found the night to be very restless. The police had come, and questioned, and gone over the school level by level. The fact was they weren't particularly upset to see Xavier dead. He was just one more mutant that the world didn't have to worry about. And, better yet, they could have a descent chance of the school shutting down, separating the mutants that had attended.  
Someone knocked at the door. Scott was about to get up but the door opened on its own. Jean looked at it, a little bit of her former self was showing through the nightmare she was living. Logan stood in the open doorway.  
"Jean," he started, "We need you to work Cerebro."  
  
It only took Jean fifteen minutes to get dressed and walk down to the chamber known as Cerebro. She had used the machine once before, and it had injured her then. Now she knew that her powers had increased, and so too had her compatibility with Cerebro.  
"Who am I looking for?" Jean asked Logan, who was the only other person inside of the chamber with her.  
"We need to find a mutant named Apocalypse. Jacob says that he's holding Rogue, but for what reason we don't know." Logan paused for a moment, then sighed, and at last spoke. "Truthfully, on Genosha, when we were in the arena, was that you who saved us?"  
Jean nodded her head.  
"Then you know who Apocalypse is?"  
Jean nodded her head again.  
"I'm not one to judge, or ask your motivations. Please, just find Apocalypse."  
Jean put the silver helmet on. She knew why Logan was so concerned. He had become close to Rogue in the past few years. In that time his role had turned to a second father rather than to a friend. Whatever Logan felt towards Jean was second to his priority as a father. It could wait.  
Jean suddenly saw the room illuminate with white lights. And, in a few seconds, the white lights gave way and she could see every mutant on the face of the earth. She instantly knew of Ororo and Kurt's adventure, and the devious thoughts that Chimera had for both of them. She knew the fear that a young boy was feeling because he had discovered his mutant ability only recently. She could sense Magento's children, full grown, and spiteful in their own way to humanity. She knew Logan's feelings towards her had not dissipated in the slightest, quite the contrary. They had grown stronger. And now that he knew she was alive he had found a new loathing for Scott.  
And then, as suddenly as she had begun searching she found him. Apocalypse. He was somewhere near the equator, on a volcanic island somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Something was interfering with the island. She couldn't sense any other mutants there. In fact, she couldn't sense Bobby, Kitty or Rogue anywhere. And that made her nervous.  
  
If they were dead, especially Rogue, there was no telling what Logan would do. Jean instantly decided not to tell him about her sensation.  
She took the helmet off and looked up at Logan.  
"We need to have a meeting."  
Logan nodded in agreement.  
  
Jubilee ran into the X-Men hanger just as the meeting was about to commence. Lance was close behind her. She had heard that they were planning something, but did not know what. And this time she did not mean to chicken out at the last minute like last time.  
"What are you doing here?" Scott asked as the two youths entered the hanger.  
"We're coming with you," Lance announced even before Jubilee could speak.  
"You might need our help," Jubilee continued.  
"No," Logan said. "This is too dangerous."  
"And Genosha wasn't?" Jubilee asked.  
"Apocalypse could very well be behind the assassination that killed Xavier. Last time he just wanted to use us for our powers. This time the gloves have come off," Jacob started. "There's no room for errors. If you screw up, you're dead."  
"So you five are going to go take on the worst mutant that we've even encountered?" Jubilee asked. "Great plan."  
"This isn't negotiable."  
Remy stepped onto the ramp leading to the Blackbird. He wore the same X-Men uniform as the others did, with his jacket over it. "She's pumped and ready. Everyone who's coming, get on board."  
"Stay here, watch after the place. End of discussion," Logan said as the other three climbed aboard the jet.  
Jubilee watched as the ramp closed and the jet took off.  
  
Chapter Nine  
Piper had been awake for hours. She felt more terrified than she had ever been in her life. And worst of all, she didn't know what the hell was going on. Her arms had been chained to the wall behind her. She was wearing the same cloths that she had been when her hometown was attacked. Although the hours did not have any meaning, she felt as if she had been abandoned for days. Perhaps her captors had just decided to let her starve to death, but if that were true Piper had no idea why she had been captured in the first place.  
At last the door to her chamber opened. Several men, all wearing blue face paint, walked inside, unlocked her chains from the wall, and lead her outside. The entire operation seemed to be inside of a large cave. The cave, Piper soon realized, was sitting directly on top of a volcano. And from the looks of things the volcano was still active. What the hell were they thinking?  
Piper was lead past several large machines and holding cages. Some of the cages held men, but others held large dog breeds. German Shepard's mostly.  
  
She could not help but notice that some of the scientists working on the machines had collars around their necks with digital numbers on them. Piper could only speculate what that meant. Every time she paused the guard nearest her pushed Piper forward.  
Finally, Piper was lead into a room separate from the others. Bobby stood in front of her, unchained.  
"Bobby help me!" she screamed.  
As Piper rushed towards him Bobby's skin started to glass over. Finally, in only a matter of seconds, his pale skin had been replaced with transparent ice. Every inch of him, in fact, seemed to be made of the bio- ice.  
"Iceman is one of my best warriors," a man announced from behind Piper.  
The girl turned around and saw a man who was completely blue from head to foot. Wires came out of his elbows and attached to either side of his waist. He stood eight feet tall, and looked down with the vengeance of countless centuries.  
"Who are you?" Piper asked.  
"I am an instrument of inevitability," the man replied. "For years I forgot everything, until warriors like Iceman allowed me to remember who I really am. What I really am. I am the means by which the world will be born anew. I am Apocalypse." Apocalypse wrapped his fingers around the bottom of Piper's jaw. "And now I will show you my might!"  
Piper spit at him, unable to do anything else.  
"Take her to the machine!" Apocalypse ordered.  
The guards that held Piper in place pulled her backwards. They strapped her to a chair, and as they left her the chamber closed, airtight.  
Piper could see Bobby through the glass that separated herself from the rest of the room. She cried for him, but he did not hear her.  
Soon she would change.  
  
Apocalypse watched as the girl mutated before his eyes. Her will was given in to his own. Her eyes lost all color, making them completely white. Her hands started to glow red. She would become another excellent warrior. She would become one of the strong; he knew it.  
"When she is done start to mutate the dogs. There is still much to do before the X-Men arrive."  
"Sir, are you sure they will?" one of the guards asked.  
"Yes. I am sure of it, and I am waiting."  
  
Wendy O'Neal walked into Rogue's holding room as she did every day with a fresh meal. She did not know the girl's real name, and for that matter she didn't care. The girl was a mutant, and that was all that was important. Just like the other girl, Kitty, Rogue would be dead when the time came.  
As Wendy entered Rogue's room this time, however, things were not as they always had been. As soon as she entered the room she felt the metal tray that she had left their for the previous meal collide with her face. Wendy fell down, but only for a second. When she started to get up Rogue hit her in the face again until finally Wendy lost consciousness.  
  
Rogue pulled the guard into her room. She had already disabled the security camera that had been watching her every move. Now she stripped the guard of all of her cloths except her undergarments, and dressed in them. Unfortunately the guard's cloths were a little large on Rogue, but it would be better than going outside in the sub-zero degree weather in nothing but her bra and underwear.  
Rogue looked outside for a brief moment, making sure that no other guards were on their way to check why the camera had been knocked out of service. There was no one. Rogue walked outside, instantly despising her captors more for having taken her to this frozen hellhole. She looked around, easily locating where the entrance to the rest of the base was, and continued to it.  
"What do you do now?" Rogue asked herself. She pulled up her jacket so that her mutant inhibitor was covered.  
  
"Sir, the mutant Rogue has escaped," Aaron reported.  
Stryker turned in his chair. "Watch her. Let's see how our new recruit handles her. Make sure she goes there."  
"Yes sir," Aaron replied.  
"And don't let him kill her, yet."  
Aaron nodded again.  
  
Rogue continued down the hall, trying not to make it obvious that she was searching each room as she passed them. Finally she came to a hanger. Since her graduation the X-Men had been teaching her how to pilot the Blackbird. She knew that all she needed to do was simply find a plane with similar controls. Of course there was no telling if the jets even remotely looked the same.  
She decided it was time to chance it. Rogue had checked three jets when she heard screaming. It reminded her of when Wolverine screamed in his sleep. It even sounded like him. It might be him.  
Rogue slowly stepped into the hallway, creeping closer to where the room was. At last she came to the door, opened it, and stepped inside. Inside was a man chained to a medical bed. He screamed again and arched his back upwards.  
"Hello?" Rogue asked.  
As she spoke he turned to her and screamed again. The straps that held him to the bed suddenly came lose, as if unseen controls made them do so. He grabbed her by the throat and threw her backwards into the wall.  
Rogue slowly pushed herself to her feet, gasping for air. At last she was able to see the man's mangled face. Metal spike's had been melted into his burnt flesh on the left side of his face. The burns traced downwards, just under the man's left eye, and all the way down past the hospital gown that kept him decent. His hair was blond, and his right eye was dark blue. The left eye had been paled because metal had melted into it.  
The man stood up, screaming again. Rogue was not sure if he was even capable of forming whole words anymore.  
She turned for the door, grasping the handle tightly and turning it as hard as she could. He rushed to her and pushed the door shut as tight as he could. The patient pushed her into the wall again, this time keeping his hands wrapped around her throat.  
"Fuck... you," Rogue whispered. She kicked him in the groin as hard as she could.  
He flinched, and then resumed his grasp. The patient wrapped his other hand around her tiny throat.  
Rogue leaned her head as far as she could and bit his wrist. She clenched her bite as tightly as she could, and the patient started to bleed. He did not seem to notice. She could feel the lack of oxygen started to take its tool. The girl was beginning to feel desperate. She punched him in the gut. Again. Another punch to the face. She could feel her knuckles bleed as they scraped against the metal in the patient's cheek.  
Rogue sucked in as much of the patient's blood as she could and spit it back in his eyes. He did not seem agitated by them.  
"That's enough!" she heard a voice order. "Release her."  
Rogue's eyes started to roll back in her head.  
"I said let her go!"  
She could barely see someone grab the patient by the arm. The patient released one hand from her and knocked the man backwards.  
Three more men pulled the patient away from her. She fell to the ground, grasping her throat with her hand and coughing. A black man grabbed her by her collar and pulled her to her feet violently. "That was very stupid."  
She remembered him. He had said his name was Aaron. "What are you doing here?"  
"How has The Biker done against young Miss Perkins?" Rogue heard a man with a southern accent ask. She knew the voice immediately, but refused to believe it. As sure as she was breathing William Stryker walked into the same room as her. "Well, Rogue isn't it? How are you liking my new found home?"  
"You bastard!" Rogue screamed. She tried to rush at him, but was restrained by Aaron.  
"Put her back in her pen. If she refuses in anyway, shoot her in the leg. I need her alive for now."  
"Yes sir," Aaron replied.  
Stryker walked past the two as Aaron started to drag Rogue away. He was far more interested in his new monster. One who was fully human, and yet very determined. The Biker continued, trying to struggle free of the three men who had succeeded in chaining him to the bed once again.  
"Easy there, easy," Stryker said. "I want you to learn a little bit about The Wolverine."  
  
Julien walked on the shores of the small island, his group of thieves and assassins close behind him. Although irritated that Remy was still alive, Julien knew there was nothing to worry about. Remy didn't know of his plans. His former brother in law didn't know where the island was. And by the time he did know anything Julien and his army would be unstoppable.  
They continued along the beach until they found a stairway that was dug into the rock. Had he not known where the stairway was he might have missed it all together for it was hidden among the foliage.  
He and the assassins ascended to the stairs quite quickly and stealthily. The only sound they made was the occasional brushing of their legs against the bushes. At the top of the stairs Julien paused, he could sense eyes on him.  
There was a creature in a cage to his right that resembles a dog somewhat. It clawed at its glass at the sight of the intruders, and Julien drew one of his two sabers, just as a precaution. He didn't think the dog could get through.  
At the top of the stairway he came to a door, and even as they group approached the doorway opened as if their presence alone was enough. A man wearing not shirt and blue face paint came out from behind the doors.  
"Come, Apocalypse has been waiting."  
  
Chapter Ten  
Jean, Cyclops, Gambit, Wolverine and Reaper set the blackbird down just off shore from Apocalypse's island. From there the five walked along the edge of the beach, circling the island twice. Wolverine had suggested being more stealthy, but Jean had informed him that Apocalypse had known of their presence since they got on the island. A confrontation was inevitable.  
Gambit held a deck of cards in one hand, shuffling them to keep his hands busy.  
"You alright, Gumbo?" Wolverine asked.  
The Cajun ignored Wolverine's taunt and replied. "I'm just wondering how come they ain't come after us yet?"  
"Complaining?"  
"Uneasy." He paused for a moment, looking up the peaks of the twin volcanos. "Rogue."  
  
From above Apocalypse's spies had spotted the five. He smiled, although he knew his master would have wanted more for the fight. He turned and headed for his master. Apocalypse's victims had arrived.  
  
It was Cyclops who spotted the stairs. Although nervous the five continued to ascend.  
Wolverine looked over to Reaper. He still didn't trust the boy. Wolverine had learned to trust his instincts, and his instincts told him that the younger mutant had something he was hiding. Wolverine couldn't guess what it was, but he wasn't comfortable with that.  
He tried to shake the feeling, knowing that his mind should be on the task at hand. But he felt like sooner rather than later Reaper's agenda would be the task.  
Reaper, however, was thinking of Kitty. He closed his eyes briefly, silently begging for her forgiveness. He knew his dilemma. He did not know if he was a villain of a hero. He was not sure of he were a mutant or a human. Somehow, when he was around her, that didn't seem to matter.  
He knew the thought was stupid. He barely knew the girl. She was just another mutant to him. He should have no problem with what Stryker planned to do with her, but he did. She had made him feel different than he had since his parents were killed. She made him feel good. He wanted that feeling again, but feared he would never feel good again.  
Jean followed up in the rear of the team. Scott was in front. Jean crossed her arms, afraid of herself. She knew that the Phoenix was inside of her. She also knew that it had a mind of it's own, and she was not sure if in the heat of battle she would be able to control it. Now she too was like Scott in the way she had to be on constant alert. She knew she would never rest, not ever, without having to worry that the Phoenix would take control of her in her sleep.  
If Xavier had been alive he would have been able to help her. She knew it. He had always been there for her. Ever since she discovered her mutant ability. She had failed him. She had been given such a tremendous gift as to absorb the Phoenix, and she hadn't even been able to save him. A knot formed in the pit of Jean's stomach. She knew that she might fail again, but this time it may be failing to control the Phoenix.  
Scott turned over his head, looking back at the team. He knew that their spirits were down. Not even Gambit had made a joke on the way to the island in the Blackbird. They were short by thee X-Men, Beast, Storm, and Nightcrawler. Right now he would have liked to have all three with them.  
He thought of how Jubilee and her friend Lance had offered to help. He had stopped them, but also remembered how she had backed out of the last mission. This time there would be no backing out. Every step they took was another step that they came closer to their fate. There would be no retreat. There would be no saving grace for those captured and placed under the horrible mind control drug that Apocalypse wielded.  
Scott managed to smile at Jean, and she returned his smile. They both knew that their faces were lying, but they did not stop smiling until Scott had turned away. He had lost her once. He would not lose her again. He'd die protecting her.  
"Stop!" Wolverine ordered, placing his arm in front of Cyclops's chest.  
"What's the matter?" Cyclops asked.  
"I smell something."  
"Reaper?"  
"I don't sense anything," the youngest mutant announced. "But he might have more human guards."  
"Keep an eye out," Cyclops ordered. "Be prepared for a skirmish."  
They heard a roaring before they saw the monster. It jumped from the bushes, knocking Gambit backwards. The Cajun did not have enough time to grab his cards, but could only shove his arm into the monster's mouth. He felt the creature's jaws bite down; it's teeth penetrating his suit and skin. "Get this off of me!" he screamed. His free hand fumbled for anything inanimate.  
The creature went limp, and Wolverine's retracted his arm. His claws were extended and crimson. Gambit got to his feet and stairs down at the creature that had been slain.  
"What was that?" Cyclops asked; his hand was still on the dial of his visor.  
"Smells like a dog," Wolverine announced.  
"That ain't a dog," Gambit said, shaking his arm.  
They heard another roaring. And another. Soon, their voices were lost in a sea of incoming monsters.  
A dozen of the dog-beasts escaped from the bushes within minutes. Three jumped at Jean. She grasped them with her telekinesis, throwing them fare enough down the stairs so that the fall damaged them critically.  
One jumped in front of Wolverine, pausing briefly, staring him in the eyes. "Alright, bub, let's see what you got!" Wolverine said, showing off his own claws. He could smell the flames before he saw them and jumped out of the way a half second before the creature blew fire at him.  
Once down the creature leapt at him. Wolverine felt it scrape its talons across his face. He screamed from what would be a mortal wound to any of his fellow X-Men and stabbed his claws into the creature's lower jaw. The blades disappeared into the creature, their tips puncturing the top of its head.  
Cyclops merely kept his visor open long enough to hit six with a single blast.  
Reaper took one out using the same tactic as Cyclops.  
Gambit had drawn his staff when the final beast attacked him. It stood on its hind legs, clawing at him. He blocked. It snapped, and he hit it in the mouth with the stick. Finally the monster charged him, and again Gambit landed on his back. This time, however, he was close enough to retrieve one of his scattered playing cards. As the beast leapt for him, jaws gaping, salivating in anticipation of food, Gambit grabbed the card, charged it, and threw it into the creature's mouth. It landed a few steps down from him; it's head splattering as it landed.  
The Cajun got to his feet, flicking the dead creature off as he did.  
The battle lasted for only about three minutes, each of the X-Men finished almost as one.  
"Come on," Cyclops ordered. "Hurry, he knows we're here, and I'm sure that Apocalypse will have more than just those creatures as security."  
The five started to run.  
  
Julien smiled when Gambit had been bit, but now that the creatures were all dead his momentary joy was washed away. He wanted to watch Remy die. And he wanted his brother-in-law to die today.  
Very well, Julien said to himself. If I can't watch him die, I'll kill him myself.  
He grabbed the handle of one of his sabers and retreated into the compound.  
* * *  
Cyclops came to the open doors and felt a shiver run down his spine. Something wasn't right. Apocalypse knew they were coming and he left the door wide open? They had fallen for one of his traps before. He was not about to fall into another one.  
He looked back to Reaper.  
"He's there somewhere," Reaper announced. "So is Bobby. I can feel them."  
"And Rogue?" Gambit demanded.  
"I don't feel anything from her."  
Gambit closed his eyes in frustration, and when they opened them a split second later Reaper see a tear rolling down his cheek.  
"That doesn't mean anything," Cyclops started. "We're going to go in there, get them out, and stop whatever it is that Apocalypse is planning. Got it?" He punched Gambit in the shoulder. "Got it?"  
Gambit nodded. "You bet your ass I got it."  
They walked inside, and appeared to be on a catwalk of some sort. As they continued on they noticed equipment, all abandoned. Molten lava bubbled and boiled to their right. The only thing separating them from the fatal fall was a single chain.  
"Bobby's this way," Reaper announced as they came to another bridge. He pointed, and started in front of them.  
As they continued the cave gave way into another room. This room was painted with symbols that the five could not decipher. One could not be confused with the man they knew as Apocalypse.  
"He's here. Apocalypse."  
As Reaper spoke the giant mutant came into view. "I was just a boy when these were written, all those hundreds of years ago. It was then that the world realized what my destiny was. But time passed, and the world forgot."  
"Where are they?" Gambit demanded. He already had a card up and charged.  
"I am but an instrument of destiny. The world is too weak without me. Allow me to change it. To make it better. Before I relied on machines to fulfill the prophecy. Now I know that I must sacrifice myself to purify the world. Allow me to make it strong again."  
"Last chance," Cyclops started. He placed his hand at the dial. "Release our friends and give up."  
"Will you not take part in destiny? Do you truly care to stand in its way?" Apocalypse paused, eyeing them all. "Very well. Then I'm afraid you will have to be purified as well."  
As he spoke his final words the X-Men watched him unveil his army.  
  
Rogue had been dragged back to her room, beaten, and then left. They believed that they had broken her spirits. They believed she would not fight back. True, she did not fight back when they came again and took samples of her blood. She did not even move when the guards came with her food. She lay on her bed, still, while they replaced the security camera in her room.  
It was not until they finished did she give them a struggle. She wrapped her arms around the guard's neck as hard as she could, trying to suffocate him. He was stronger than she had originally thought, which was precisely what she was hoping for.  
More guard's rushed into the room, prying her off the technician. They threw her to the ground. Rogue got up and fought, and they threw her to the ground again. Each time they did she made sure that the collar around her neck took in all of her weight as well as the guards muscle. Each time she could feel it becoming more and more fragile.  
After being thrown five times Rogue could hear the mutant inhibitor break. Her face was cut. Her gut was bruised. She thought that she might even have a few cracked ribs, but it was worth every scar.  
"You gonna stay down this time, girl?" the guard taunted.  
Rogue got to her feet again. Her hair hung in front of her face. Her legs seemed weak. But her will was strong. They had hurt her for the last time.  
The guard took a swing at her, and Rogue caught his hand midair. She could feel his hatred for her flood into her body. His memories. His dreams of molesting her before she died. His strength. It was all she could do not to hold on until he died. She released his hand, dropping his limp body to the floor.  
A second guard came at her, and Rogue punched him in the gut. Her super-human strength had returned, and the guard flew backwards, breaking the door that separated her prison from the cold outside.  
All that remained was the technician, who was cowering in the corner. She towered above him, unflinching. "Strip," she ordered.  
The technician took off his jacket.  
  
Whatever numbers Apocalypse had lost on Genosha he had replenished. The X-Men could not guess what the madmen had promised his legion. Money, power, dominion, but whatever it was they would follow him to the death. They crawled out of the walls; some flew. They were all mutants, and Gambit had not seen the scar that had been left on the back of his own neck. He did, however recognize several of them as former members of the Thieves Guild or Assassin's Guild.  
"Reaper a little warning about this might have been helpful," Gambit said.  
"I couldn't sense them. I- I couldn't sense any of them but Apocalypse and Bobby!"  
"Well they're definitely mutants!" Gambit screamed.  
"True, they are mutants, but they are improved from what they were before," Apocalypse announced. His next words were spoken to his army. "Destroy them!"  
As he spoke the mutants charged.  
"Come and get some!" Wolverine screamed above the mutant's war cries.  
  
Jean levitated herself to Cyclops's side. She brushed several mutants aside with her telekinesis. Cyclops blasted a few more with his optic blast. They had already lost track to Gambit, Wolverine and Reaper.  
  
As Jean searched the crowd she felt a fireball hit her square in the gut, knocking her backwards. Luckily she was not seriously burnt from the blast. She pushed herself to her hands and knees when a mutant kicked her in the gut, chuckling as he did.  
Jean had not realized how hot the flooring was beneath her feet until her face landed on it. She quickly lifted herself up and saw the attacking mutant rush towards her. He was knocked off his feet by a brilliant red light, and Jean was able to maneuver herself into a fighting position.  
* * *  
"Hey Remy, how's it hangin?" a reptilian mutant rasped. It hung from the ceiling, only inches away from Gambit's face. It licked its face with its long serpent tongue, and then fell to the floor. Gambit had once known the mutant as Etienne. Etienne kicked at Gambit, but the Cajun's reflexes were better than to be hit by a single ill-planned kick. He moved to the side.  
"Julien wants a world with you," the reptile rasped, jumping on Gambit. Gambit felt a wave of nausea hit him, and then realized that Etienne was not only deformed, but he could teleport as well.  
"On your feet," Julien ordered.  
Gambit felt the tip of a saber under his chin. It escorted him up until he was standing. As he looked around Gambit could see that the only combatants were himself, Etienne, and Julien.  
"What did Apocalypse give you, eh? What was your price for selling you soul?"  
"Oh he hasn't made me a mutant yet. I wanted to wait until you were dead before I took that pleasure."  
"Mores the pity."  
"Would you kill me, Remy? Honestly? You couldn't before. Have you changed your colors, and become a real assassin?"  
"Even if you kill me now you'll always know that I'm a genuine freak, and you're just a cheap imitation. You always wanted to better me, Julien. Now's your chance."  
Remy could feel a trickle of blood run down his throat. He knew that the point of Julien's saber had pierced his skin.  
"Do it!"  
Etienne was breathing heavily in anticipation. His mouth salivated. Without a word the reptile pulled the second saber and charged Gambit, screaming as he did.  
  
Wolverine and Reaper had stayed surprisingly close to each other despite the masses that had attacked them. Reaper had been fighting with a combination of optic blasts and telekinesis. Wolverine had shown no mercy with his claws. Were it not for his healing ability the two would have been seriously injured by now.  
Through the carnage in the room Reaper saw Apocalypse walking away to yet another stairway. Whatever the mutant leader was up to he was sure it was not good.  
"Hold onto your ass, I'm making a hole!" Reaper shouted.  
Again he used the optic blast, but unlike before he did not hold back. The mutant directly in front of him flew backwards, riding the blast until it punched through the side of the volcano's wall. Other mutants, both knocked down from the blast or who had leaped out of the way, did not stand between Wolverine, Reaper and the doorway. They ran up the stairs.  
"He's close! He's up to something, I know it!" Reaper shouted.  
As they reached a final room Reaper saw a chamber of some sort. Immediately next to it was an opening in the grate leading down to the lava that bubbled below. Two mutants stood in the room with them. One, although they did not know it, used to be the girl known as Piper. The other was Apocalypse.  
The girl's hands were glowing red.  
"Reaper, take care of her," Wolverine ordered.  
"I-I can't! I can't sense her at all!"  
"She's a synthetic mutant. Not one who was born into this world, but one who I made. That is why the boy cannot stop her... or me."  
As he spoke the girl formed a red blade that she threw at Reaper. He moved, only just slow enough to feel the heat from the blade scotch his ear. Had Wolverine not been standing next to him Reaper would have lost the hearing on his right side.  
"Meet Neon."  
  
Cyclops felt someone grab him from behind and pick him up. He was tossed backwards among the army of attacking mutants, and finally thrown to the floor. Multiple blows landed over his body. He looked around, trying to find Jean, but she was nowhere to be found. He had lead them into a trap, and they would all die because of his mistake.  
  
Wolverine charged the girl known as Neon, swinging his claws down sharply. She grabbed him by the wrist, and to his surprise her hands burnt. He flinched in pain, trying to escape her surprisingly strong grasp. Finally she released them, only to grab onto his face, and then toss him backwards.  
Wolverine was about to get to his feet but Neon was already at his side, her hand grasping him by the back of his hair, and although he felt them singe Neon still had enough time to elbow him in the back of his head.  
He got to his feet, stunned for a moment. She took the opportunity to attack, hitting him several times in the gut with her hot hands. Finally the burning ended when Neon punched him in the bottom of the jaw, and Wolverine tumbled backwards onto the stairs.  
  
Reaper stood face to face with Apocalypse, alone. He could hear the lava bubbling below. One of the larger bubbles burst and melted on the bottom of the grate that the two stood on.  
"Your parents would have been proud to see what you have become," Apocalypse said.  
"Don't you speak of them!" Reaper ordered.  
"My dear boy, what are you going to do? Hmm? You can't kill me. Not until after the prophecy is fulfilled."  
"I'll stop you then."  
"Stop me? You couldn't even stop me from killing your parents."  
Reaper charged Apocalypse, only then realizing that his anger was his mistake. The elder mutant swung his right hand at the boy, sending him toppling backwards. Reaper approached the edge of the grate and held on by his fingertips.  
"What now?" Apocalypse started. "No teleporter to save you. No others to help you. You're going to die!"  
  
Gambit had had enough time to grab and extend his staff before Etienne sliced down. At the same time he had managed to knock Julien's saber away from his throat. The two assassins attacked as one. One would attack at Gambit's face, the other at his gut.  
All three of them knew that if Gambit did not block just right that the evil ones would win. Gambit deflected Etienne's saber down, and the mutant continued the lunge. The Cajun felt the tip of the blade enter his right calf and screamed, but not long enough so that he couldn't block Julien's attack.  
He pushed the swords back and spun the staff in his hands, trying to hide how much his leg hurt.  
  
Jean had seen them carrying Scott away. The mutants that had been attacking before now held clubs that they were beating her with. The skin on her brow had opened, revealing a bloody trail.  
She reached out with her Physic arm, but could not find a single friendly person. All that was left was hate. So much hate. It made her more afraid than she was of herself.  
Unleash the Phoenix, she thought to herself.  
Despite the pain that she was in Jean instantly cast the idea aside. The Phoenix would be more dangerous to her friends than Apocalypse's mutants.  
Through her searching Jean finally found a friendly mind. Bobby Drake.  
  
Rogue ran through the snow, although she didn't have to. She saw several guards rushing towards her, and finally removed the mutant inhibitor from her neck, throwing it at the nearest guard.  
He fell backwards, landing in the snow hard. The other guards did not stop. She heard several shots ring out, and did not slow her run.  
* * *  
"Sir, Rogue is trying to escape!" Aaron reported.  
"Don't let her escape! Deploy the Sentinels!" Stryker ordered. He paused, considering for a brief moment his consequences. "Kill her!"  
  
Bobby had been given a large dose of the mind control drug. His body was completely covered in ice, and despite the hot temperature he did not melt. He could feel something attack his mind, helping him free himself from the chains that bound him from helping.  
"Gray," he uttered, his first free word since leaving Atlanta.  
The drug held him strong, and he was forced to fall to his knees.  
"Stop!" Bobby screamed, his voice barely audible through the mass of screams.  
He looked up, suddenly aware of what he was doing. He was free.  
  
Neon caught Wolverine's claws as they swept down, and to his surprise they did not cut down. He watched as the red grew and spread over his hands, burning them, and forcing him to pull back. She charged at him, and kicked her in the gut.  
It was the first blow that he had landed which had hurt the girl. She stumbled backwards, not sure of what had happened. It did not take her more than a couple of seconds to attack again. And again Wolverine kicked her, this time in the face.  
However, as he pulled his leg back to the ground she grasped it and spun. Were it not for his Adamantium bones his leg would have been broken. Even with his metallic bones he was still burnt.  
She leapt at him, and he caught her, using her momentum to throw her past him. He knew that there was problems with Apocalypse and didn't have time to continue the fight with Neon. He started back up the stairs, but Neon grabbed him from behind, throwing him down.  
She shot a blast of her heat at him, and it hit him in the gut. Again his metallic bones were his only saving grace.  
  
Gambit was tired, and they knew it. Each swing of his staff was a terrible burden, and his leg did not make the task any easier. Soon, he would make the mistake that would cost him his life. If only he could grab a card.  
Julien lunged forward. And Gambit knocked his sword to the left. At the same time Etienne lunged forward as well, missing Gambit completely. Julien's sword entered through the back of Etienne's torso, exiting the front.  
Etienne looked down, surprised at what had happened. The sword retracted, and the assassin turned, looking at Julien. He dropped the saber, and put his hand to his chest. His fingers came back crimson, and Etienne dropped to the floor, dead.  
Gambit threw his staff aside and picked up the second saber, holding it extended.  
"Are you going to fight me, hmm Gambit? Are you going to fight me to the death?"  
"I won't kill you," Gambit announced.  
"That's too bad. Then I'm just going to kill you."  
  
They were going to die. He knew it.  
Cyclops was not about to go down without settling up the score. They had killed his best friend. They had killed the man who was like a father to him. And they had killed the woman he loved.  
He took off his visor, blasting the mutant closest to him with a full stream. The mutant barely had a chance. Next he stood up and swung his head from one side of the compound to the next. The grate buckled, and he knew one of the halves would fall into the lava. Luckily for him it was the side he was not standing on. However, many of Apocalypse's mutants fell into the lava below.  
He turned, and for the first time in what seemed to be hours he saw Jean. She was standing, moving her arms left and right. Every move she made sent another mutant flying. Bobby was freezing other mutants in place.  
"Bobby!" Cyclops shouted out, unaware that he had spoken.  
He was filled with hope again. The head X-Men put his visor back on and started delivering sharp strong blasts to chosen mutants.  
They were going to live.  
  
Gambit's sword crossed with Julien's. He moved forward, then back. Julien lunged, and his sword stabbed Gambit in the left arm.  
"Next time you die!"  
He removed his sword and charged, forcing Gambit to move backwards. As their swords struck they sparked. Julien pushed himself forward. His face was in Gambit's.  
"I will kill you!"  
"Not today!"  
  
Julien backed up, releasing their swords from the dead lock and laughed mockingly. Not it was Gambit who advanced. They turned, and Julien finally found himself pinned against the wall.  
"Where is she?" Gambit demanded.  
"Your whore? We don't have her!"  
"You lie!"  
Gambit swung his sword fiercely, every move another attack. They paused; their swords deadlocked again.  
"I may do a lot of bad things, Gambit, but I'm not a liar!"  
The sabers broke free. And for a moment the two swung, hitting nothing but air. Gambit stabbed forward, only then realizing that Julien had stabbed him in the gut. Gambit's saber lay embedded in Julien's shoulder, the hilt touching his brother-in-law's skin.  
Gambit gasped, backing up a few seconds. He stumbled backwards, staring at the sword that was stuck in his body. Julien laughed.  
  
Wolverine held Neon's hands only inches away from his face. He could not believe how strong the girl was. Her arms continued to advance, and he could feel the heat from the red gel that covered her hands.  
Her skin touched his, and he felt his face start to burn. He screamed in anguish, trying to escape from her grasp.  
  
Apocalypse stepped on Reaper's hands. The boy's finger's had blistered already from heat. He looked below, seeing the lava.  
"Fall, boy, fall."  
"You go to hell!"  
"You first!"  
  
Gambit pulled the sword out of his gut and allowed it to clatter to the floor. He started to stand, and he finally saw Julien's face turn white with fear. Gambit stood, supporting himself on the hilt of the sword that pinned Julien to the wall behind him.  
"Where is she?" Gambit managed to ask.  
"I don't know."  
"Tell me, or I'll kill you."  
Julien laughed again. "You- you can't kill me Remy! You're not a killer! Remember! You couldn't kill me then, you won't kill me now!"  
"Last chance."  
Julien leaned in close to his brother-in-law's face. "You won't kill me."  
The blade suddenly felt hot. Julien looked down and saw that it was glowing, the same way that Gambit's playing cards always glowed.  
"Better be sure," Gambit said.  
He started walking away; approaching the stairs that lead down from the room he was inside of. Gambit didn't even hear Julien crying his name, and he barely heard the explosion that ended his brother-in-law's life.  
* * *  
Rogue took off. She felt weightless. As she flew she looked back and saw that two Sentinels had been sent after her. She groaned in frustration, knowing that she would have to deal with them.  
As she sped over the ice on the ground she searched out someplace where she would lose them.  
They fired, and the explosion hit the ground just to the right.  
"Shit," she said to herself.  
She stopped midair, waiting for the sentinels to be on either side of her. They took aim, and at the same time they fired. Rogue moved at the last second, and the blast hit each other. The first one was hit in the leg. The other one was hit square in the chest. Both fell to the ground, blowing up beneath her.  
Rogue continued flying.  
  
Wolverine found new strength inside of himself. He pushed Neon's hands off his face, slowly pushing her to the other side of the staircase. Now, holding her still at the wrists he head butted her. Again, and again. Hard. Her nose started to bleed, and she tried to bite him.  
He saw the back of her neck, and knew the mark well. A small circular scare remained where flesh had been. He kicked her in the gut, knocking the wind out of her. Wolverine retracted his claws and punched the girl in the head.  
She fell, knocked out. And as she did he saw the locket that was around her neck open. Wolverine knelt down next to her. One side of the locket was a young woman, not much older than the Neon at the time the picture was taken.  
The other was he.  
  
Apocalypse's men had retreated. The battle had been won, but Apocalypse did not know that. Nor did Reaper.  
Apocalypse reached down his right leg and shoved it in Reaper's face. "Let go boy, it's over!" Apocalypse ordered.  
Reaper did not respond. He started to pull himself up, knocking Apocalypse's leg away as he tried to kick him backwards. At last Reaper got to his feet. He punched Apocalypse in the face, then in the gut. Again in the head.  
Apocalypse grabbed him by the neck.  
"Foolish boy! You cannot stop me, I am prophesized."  
Reaper's eyes glowed red for a moment, and he blasted Apocalypse in the chest. The blue mutant stumbled backwards. Reaper charged him again, wrapping his arms around the older mutant's torso. Now it was Reaper who grabbed Apocalypse by the chest.  
"Say anything about this in your prophecy?" he taunted, then pushed Apocalypse back.  
He watched the mutant tumble down into the molten pool below. In an instant, Apocalypse was gone.  
Reaper turned, seeing Cyclops at the head of the stairs. He paused for a moment, not sure what the leader of the X-Men would say.  
"Come on," Cyclops finally said. "We have to go. Now."  
* * *  
Remy stumbled to the bottom of the stairs. He could feel his strength leaving him. Wherever they were, he had lost the X-Men. He could feel the volcano rumbling. It would erupt soon, and he would be gone.  
He leaned himself against the side of the wall and closed his eyes.  
"Gambit!" he heard a voice cry.  
Remy barely had enough strength to open his eyes. He could see that he was floating now, suspended in air by invisible hands. At last, one of his arms were wrapped around Scott, the other was around Bobby.  
The Jean and Jacob were in front of them, already started to descend the stairs they had come up only an hour before. Logan followed close behind. He held Piper in his arms.  
"Who's she?" Scott asked.  
"I don't know, but she had this!"  
Logan showed Scott the locket, now slowing.  
"Her name's Piper," Bobby told them. "She was my roommate."  
"Hurry!" Jean shouted.  
  
Epilogue  
Jubilee had received the message from the Blackbird that they were returning. She had also been told to prep the infirmary only a few hours ago. Apparently Remy was hurt pretty badly, as was a girl that they had picked up from Apocalypse. They hadn't found Rogue, or Kitty. Several hours later, after the Blackbird had returned safely, and they had helped Jean with Remy and Piper, the two returned back. The others were already sleeping; taking some much needed time to relax.  
Now the teen stood near Lance. He had his arm wrapped around her tightly. They watched the sun setting in the distance. Avalanche stood next to them panting joyfully.  
"Do you think they're alive?" Jubilee asked. "Rogue and Kitty?"  
Lance looked at her, smiling as best he could without looking foolish. "If they're alive then we'll find them. And next time, I don't care what your friends say, we'll help."  
She moved her head to his shoulder and he held her tighter. She felt his lips press against the top of her head, and despite how bad she felt Jubilee smiled.  
Jubilee and Lance were about to go inside when they heard something move in the bushes.  
"Stay here," Lance instructed.  
He started forward, readying himself to use his mutant ability if needed. As he approached the bushes he saw a girl, a little older than Jubilee, with auburn hair. Even in the darkness he could see a single streak of white.  
"Are you alright?" Lance asked. He bent down to her.  
"Don't touch me!" the girl ordered.  
Lance stopped. He didn't want to send her into a state of shock. "Who are you? Are you hurt?"  
"My name is Rogue," the girl announced. Then she passed out.  
  
Magneto stood on the balcony of his apartment. Below he could see the busy streets of Genosha, working perfectly even in the night. He knew at last his dream had been realized.  
Mystique lay on the bed, asleep. They were not truly lovers, however he did care for her a great deal. And he took joy that she was at peace.  
The old mutant looked inside and saw that the light on his phone was blinking. He had forgotten to check the messages upon returning home. It wasn't too late, he knew. Maybe, if it was urgent, he would return the call tonight.  
He picked up the phone and dialed into his messages.  
"You have one new message," a recorded woman's voice announced cheerfully.  
For a moment he wondered if she were a mutant or not.  
"Message one," the woman continued.  
"Magneto, it's me," Sabertooth announced on the recording. "He's been spotted. I repeat: we've located Wrath. Please advise how you would like to peruse."  
Magneto hung up and dialed Sabertooth's number.  
  
Yuriko Oyama looked at the land in front of her the same way she viewed all life. With hatred. Stryker had stolen eight years of her life from her. And the last two years had been a living hell for her. Magneto had made her a good deal, but she was not sure she would take it. She didn't trust the old mutant.  
She didn't trust anyone.  
  
Wolverine held the locket that Piper had been holding in his hand, moving it slowly back and forth. He sighed. Another mystery had been solved, and now a thousand new ones had been revealed.  
Apparently the effects of the serum had caused the girl to go into a coma. The serum combined with the mutation of her genes combined with the shock of being brought out of the trance had proved too much for her fragile body.  
Wolverine looked at her again. "Who are you, Piper?" he asked to her as she slept peacefully.  
  
While the days were becoming peaceful for others Stryker was worried. He was not ready for the X-Men to arrive. His defenses were not high enough. And he still needed more men. And apparently the Sentinels needed work still. He couldn't have them going around blasting each other. They were damned expensive.  
He looked at the second cell and saw Kitty Pryde behaving exactly as she was supposed to. She was terrified. And luckily she was waiting for Jacob to rescue her.  
The sight of her almost made him laugh.  
Suddenly an alarm sounded.  
"Sir, we have mutant in the compound!" Aaron announced.  
"What is it? Where is it? Report damn you!"  
Aaron tried to speak, but could not.  
  
The mutant teleported from one side of the room to the other, grabbing the guards from behind. It jumped into the air before they got a shot off. It knocked them down.  
They watched as the bullets traveled right through the mutant. And at once he teleported behind them again, grabbing them and knocking them out. Normally the mutant would have killed the soldiers, but he needed them alive.  
It teleported from one side of the compound, and for a three minutes it was gone from this universe, and finally arrived in Stryker's laboratory.  
Stryker took aim, emptying a clip into the mutant. Each bullet passed through it as if nothing had happened. Stryker struggled and started to reload. Before he could the mutant snatched the gun from him.  
"Can we talk?" the mutant asked.  
Stryker paused, waiting for the mutant to kill him. He always knew that a mutant would kill him, but he assumed it would be some sort of a freak. If Stryker were walking down the street he would think of the man in front of him as normal. It didn't matter.  
"What do you want, freak?" Stryker asked.  
"I want some of your mutant inhibitors," the mutant announced, grinning. "Allow me to divulge to you a very interesting proposition."  
"Who are you?"  
The mutant's grin spread. "I am Chimera." 


End file.
